When Lost Hope Was Found
by FadingHope11
Summary: The war against Voldemort has only just begun. Ginny's lost in a world of war until she teams up with Malfoy to help end the devastation and sorrow. Will he prove trustworthy, or will everything backfire on her? GD. Pre Deathly Hallows.
1. Fading Hope

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Harry Potter or the characters from the Harry Potter books.

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Chapter 1: Fading Hope

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Ginny sat alongside the bleeding wizard. He'd just been rushed to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and Ginny was the one sent to heal him. Concentrating all her power, Ginny felt the magic flowing through her; in when she inhaled, and out when she exhaled. She raised her hands over the still form in front of her. The man wasn't dead, only badly hurt. Ginny wondered what this man's story was, what had happened to him. Had he asked for this punishment? Ginny thought not. 

She gently let the magic flow from her hands into the dying wizard. She focused her strength and set her mind on one thing: saving this man's life. With a burst of energy, she let her magic go, letting it flow into the still form. Ginny watched as her magic flowed through the wizard, healing his wounds slowly. First, the magic wrapped itself around his wounds, making the edge of his skin start to fold over. Then the magic brought the edges of skin together, sealing the wound and stopping any more blood from escaping. Finally, the blood dried and vanished from his body.

Ginny sighed in relief and exhaustion. Falling into the chair behind her, she watched as the wizard began to breathe more normally. His breath had been short and shallow before. Now, it was deep and soothing. His eyes fluttered open, taking in the room and the meek girl at the side of his bed.

"It's okay," Ginny whispered to the man, grabbing his hand to comfort him, "Everything's going to be alright." She watched as he closed his eyes again, drifting into a deep sleep. Ginny sighed to herself again. Everything _wasn't_ going to be alright. She had saved his life, but that didn't make him safe from an attack again.

That was one thing that depressed Ginny. When she worked at St. Mungo's she _did_ get a chance to impact and save peoples' lives, but what good would it do? She often saw the same faces more than once within a month or even a week. She'd heal the person only to have to heal them again.

_That's better than letting them die,_ Ginny though miserably. On occasions, a person would come in with such extensive injuries that Ginny couldn't do anything. No amount of magic could save their lives. The curses that Voldemort and his Death Eaters were using were dark and horrible magic. She would shudder at some of the people who came in, but held their hands as they died, nonetheless. She'd sing to them softly, songs of hope and peace, as she held back her own tears and her own lack of hope. These times made her feel like whatever she did, it wasn't enough; that the effort of the good side would never be enough to conquer the bad.

Despite her own fading hope, she made a promise to herself: she would do everything in her power to help anyone who needed it. She'd made that promise after she had gotten a taste of what working at St. Mungo's would really mean. Ginny had started working there at the beginning of summer, along with other classmates of hers. They all knew Hogwarts was closing, so they felt the need to help any way that they could.

It had been great at first. Ginny had learned the basics of Healing and had excelled quickly. Healing wasn't really about spells or incantations; it was about concentration and control of your own magic. Of course, spells could heal bruises and scrapes easily enough, but there were no people who came in with just minor cuts anymore. She recalled her first days at St. Mungo's. Those were the days when there weren't overcrowded rooms and too little Healers to help; the days Ginny would give anything to have back. But summer was nearing an end now, and things were bleak.

"Weasley!" a magical voice shouted into the room.

"Yes?" she replied, getting up from her chair and speaking to no one in particular.

"Status?" the magical voice asked, ringing loud and clear.

"Patient is alive and well," Ginny replied to the voice as she walked to the door.

"Good. Room 431 needs you." With that, the voice stopped, and Ginny made her way up to room 431, bracing herself for whatever it was she was about to face. She pushed the door open, and her breath caught in the back of her throat. Lying on a nearby table was a small girl not being attended to. Ginny cursed under her breath; she hated seeing children in St. Mungo's, hated when she wasn't able to save them. She rushed over to the life-less girl and made quick observations.

The girl wasn't breathing, so Ginny forced her magic to flow through her tiny body, forcing the girl's lungs to fill with oxygen, then let it go. She did this for several moments, when the girl suddenly came to life. Ginny sighed in relief as the girl sat up abruptly. The little girl took in the room and then glanced at Ginny.

Within a spilt-second, Ginny realized something was wrong. The little girl's eyes were misted over, and her expression was hazy: common symptoms of someone who had been put under the Imperius Curse.

"_Ava_ – " the girl shouted with a wand that Ginny hadn't noticed, but Ginny was too quick.

"_Stupefy!_" Ginny shouted, and the tiny child was thrust backwards on the table. Breathing heavily, Ginny approached the girl. She looked down at the tiny face, which was surrounded by soft, brown curls. Ginny stood by the girl, her wand pointed at her, until she would be called off again. The case with the little girl wasn't uncommon. Ginny attended to at least one patient a day that had been imperiused, and she was seeing more and more of them lately. Being a Healer, you always had to be prepared for anything because the Death Eaters would do just about anything to anyone.

"Weasley!" the magical voice called again.

"Yes?" she asked wearily.

"Status?" the voice asked mechanically.

"Patient is alive but is imperiused," Ginny replied, her wand still aimed directly at the little girl.

"Okay. Wait until assistance comes," the voice responded, and then it was gone. Ginny waited several minutes until an advanced Healer came to help the child further. It's a tricky situation when dealing with a person who has been imperiused. You never know how much strength the curse has and how easily it can be removed. That's why when a patient has been put under the Imperius Curse, an advanced Healer comes in to take care of the person. One advanced Healer explained it to Ginny as having to send your own magic inside their minds, locate the curse, and then use the strength of your magic to remove the curse.

The advanced Healer said it was very difficult, that they run the risk of damaging their own magic. When they dive headfirst into someone's mind, it's possible to get lost in the other person's thoughts and memories. After being told this, Ginny had no problem sitting back and waiting for those advanced Healers.

"You can go now, dear," a ruffled woman said to Ginny as she approached the unconscious, little girl. Ginny snapped out of her daydream as the magical voice filled the room again. She was sent to yet another room to tend to yet another person.

Ginny spent the day healing countless amounts of people, and doing all she could to make a difference. It was hard for her, especially when she had diminishing faith in the Ministry. Ginny felt like she wasn't doing enough, but she still worked her hardest. Ginny always tried as much as she could to heal and save every single person that she tended to.

She sat tiredly beside yet another bed, staring at the young woman in front of her. Ginny had barely managed to save the woman; her injuries had been so bad and deep that Ginny's magic could only just reach the wounds. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to ease the pain from her migraine. Commotion started on the opposite side of the room, and Ginny opened her eyes in attention. Peering over, she saw two healers trying to hold down an older man, but he was fighting them off both physically and with magic. Ginny could see waves of magic flooding through the air at the two Healers.

Walking over, Ginny was about to help in the struggle when one of the Healers whipped out her wand, muttered something inaudible, and then stashed her wand away again. Ginny watched as the older man was easier to tie down now, and the other Healer performed his own bit of magic so the man relaxed comfortably on the bed. The two Healers made sure the man was no threat anymore, and then they both sank onto the floor in exhaustion.

"Excuse me," Ginny said as she approached one of the Healers, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Yeah?" the woman asked wearily as she lifted up her long, dark hair into a ponytail.

"What did you do just there?" Ginny asked the woman.

"With him?" she asked, her hand flinging back to indicate the older man, "Oh, I just bound his magic."

"Bound his magic?" Ginny asked in confusion. She had never heard of binding someone's magic before.

"Haven't you heard of it, darling?" the woman asked, popping some bubble gum into her mouth. Ginny shook her head so she continued, "Well, only a few Healers are taught this method of Healing. It's not really recommended because it's like invading someone's personal life. When some people come in here, especially during these dark times, their magic is uncontrollable. They can unconsciously give off waves of their own magic, which is very uncontrollable."

Ginny nodded, but wasn't quite sure she understood. The woman saw Ginny's slight confusion, so she explained some more.

"With this guy," she told Ginny, "He didn't want to be here and was fighting us off physically. He somehow tapped his own magic, and it started acting on it's own accord by attacking us. Sometimes the witch or wizard is aware of what they are doing, and sometimes they're not. When it comes to people who are brought here, I find it best just to temporarily bind their magic. It's tricky, but if you have enough control of your own magic, it's not that difficult. Here," she said, facing Ginny squarely, "take out your wand and I'll teach you. Lord knows you'll probably need it some time or another."

Ginny did as she was told and took out her own wand, sitting down as she did so.

"Okay," Ginny said hesitantly.

"Now," the woman told her, "feel your own magic. You have to be able to control every part of your own power in order to control someone else's. Feel it flowing through you, in and out."

Ginny closed her eyes for a moment, building up her own power, pulling it from the very core of her body. She felt it simmering around her, and increased her concentration and control so she could manage all of her magic.

"Done," Ginny said, opening her eyes, ready for the next bit of instruction.

"Good," the woman said with a bit of a smile as she felt Ginny's magic in the air around her. "Now take every bit of your magic, and wrap it around me. Let it all go, sending it onto me, harnessing my own power."

Ginny closed her eyes once again, still feeling every bit of her magic. In one moment, she let it all go. It was an amazing feeling, kind of like the sensation she got when she shot off on her broom, straight up in the air. Her whole body felt woozy, as if she had just sent her organs out, instead of her magic. Ginny concentrated farther, feeling her magic out around her, and she flung it fiercely at the woman, wrapping it tightly around her.

The dark haired woman had a sharp intake of breath, but smiled at Ginny when she opened her eyes.

"Very good," the woman said cheerfully. "Look," she began as she pulled out her own wand, "I can't do one bit of magic now," The woman flicked her wand, saying _Lumos_, but nothing happened.

"Wow!" Ginny exclaimed, surprised by her own ability.

"Alright," the woman said again, "now, when you bind someone's magic, it doesn't always mean it'll stay that way. If you left me like this, then your magic will eventually wear off. Also," she said with a sly smile, "some people can override other's magic. Like now, seeing as this was your first attempt at binding someone's magic, I could probably get your magic off me."

The woman closed her deep, brown eyes, concentrating with her own strength. All of a sudden, Ginny felt as if she were choking. The feeling only lasted for a moment, but it was awful. It felt as if someone was trying to force her organs back _in_ to her body. Ginny felt the familiar tingle of magic, as her power came flooding back at her.

"Not a pleasant experience," the woman said, smiling as Ginny was wincing. Her whole body ached. "Yet, binding someone's magic is useful. It has – " she began again, but was cut off.

"Donnolley!" the magical voice shouted into the room.

"Yeah?" the woman called back.

"Status?" it asked.

"Oh, I'm alive and well, thanks!" Donnolley replied cheerfully, and she grinned at Ginny.

"The patient?" the voice asked exasperated.

"Right," she said still smiling. "Patient is alive, but his magic is bound."

"Again?" the magical voice asked with slight irritation.

"Yep!" she still replied cheerfully.

"Very well. You're needed in Room 192," the voice said, and then went away.

"What did the voice mean when it said 'again'?" Ginny asked the woman.

She grinned at Ginny, "Once you've gone through that sensation of binding someone's magic a couple of times, it's kind of addicting. It just comes naturally to bind someone's magic after the first couple of times."

"Right," Ginny replied, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Well," she said as she got up from the tiled floor, "I better get a move on." She turned to go, but then spun back around to face Ginny, her hand stuck out in the air. "I'm Melanie, by the way. Melanie Donnolley."

"Ginny Weasley," Ginny said, taking Melanie's hand in her own and shaking it.

"It was nice to meet you, Miss Ginny," said Melanie, her silly grin still on her face. "Maybe we'll run into each other some other time."

Ginny watched as Melanie skipped to the door, and with a wave, vanished from sight. The rest of the day flew by in a haze, and luckily, Ginny didn't need to bind anyone's magic. She left St. Mungo's late at night, disapparating to The Burrow.

The first thing her parents did when Ginny returned from Hogwarts at the beginning of summer was to teach her how to Apparate. She picked up on it quickly, probably because her parents were so freaked about her learning to Apparate. They didn't want their only daughter walking about everywhere because that's the only way she could get from one place to another. Actually, her parents didn't want her to leave The Burrow at all, but Ginny insisted when she told them she wanted to help as much as she could at St. Mungo's.

Sighing, Ginny flopped down on the couch once she was safe inside her home. She thought back to yesterday when her parents had both dropped in to check on her. They did that every week, apparating to the home to see if Ginny was safe and alive, and then they disapparated back to the Ministry. They'd been practically living at the Ministry for the whole summer, dropping in once a week to see if their only daughter was, in fact, still alive.

All the Ministry officials, and now other adult wizards, were practically living at the Ministry, or out doing their part against the Death Eaters. Ginny already hated the Ministry, but taking her parents away from her just pushed her hatred farther. In the last two, three months (Ginny was already starting to lose track of the days) the Ministry had been able to do practically _nothing_ against Voldemort and his followers. Sure, there had been arrests, but the people being arrested were no more Death Eaters than Ginny was; it was an absolute joke.

Ginny had spent many nights, sitting at the table alone, her dinner getting cold in front of her. There was never anyone there to comfort her or provide her with comforting words; she was alone. Ginny had concluded that the Ministry was just a joke. There was all this hustling about like they were really making an effort, but it was all garbage; she didn't trust the Ministry one bit.

Finally, Ginny undressed and went to her room, her exhaustion overcoming her. As she lay in her bed, she wondered what Ron, Harry, and Hermione were doing. They had gone off to who knows where after the school had closed. They said they were going to stay for Fleur and Bill's wedding, but the wedding never happened. There was too much going on, not enough room for even a bit of happiness anymore.

Ginny succumbed to sleep, and woke early the next morning. She quickly made herself some toast with the help of magic as she got ready. The Ministry didn't care whether underage wizards used magic anymore. They had too much on their plate, dealing with Voldemort and his Death Eaters to worry about some silly, little, underage witch or wizard doing some nonsense spell.

After she had eaten her toast, she walked all the way to the edge of her property, and then disapparated to St. Mungo's. Ginny spent another weary day tending to men, women, and children, whether they were witches, wizards, or muggles. It didn't matter to her; the faces all became blurs by the end anyway. When her long day was done, she disapparated.

Looking around, Ginny couldn't see anything familiar. She should've been at the edge of her property, the boundary line to where a person could or could not Apparate. But the surroundings told Ginny that she was far from home. At The Burrow, there were trees, plants, and flowers sprinkled everywhere, but here, everything was dead. It was a barren wasteland. Off in the distance, Ginny spotted a town, but other than that, there was nothing.

Ginny shuddered as the wind picked up around her. Her own exhaustion must have thrown her ability to Disapparate off. She was ready to turn on the spot, disapparating back to The Burrow, when she stopped. Peering into the hazy night, Ginny saw a still form on the ground.

She rushed over to the body, already able to tell that the person was in dire need of assistance. He was bleeding from all over, and he wasn't breathing. Ginny lifted his light form hurriedly, spun on the spot, and arrived outside the property of her home. She continued to carry him, via magic, into her home, knowing that she had scarce time, if not any.

Setting him down quickly on her table, she siphoned off some of the blood, but then backed away in horror.

Lying on her table was the still body of one of the enemy itself: Draco Malfoy.

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**A/N: **Will Ginny refuse to help save the guy who led to Dumbledore's downfall or will she stick to the promise she made herself, doing everything in her power to save him? **Read **and **REVIEW**, and you'll find out! 

Yay! First chapter done! So, I'm going to be gone for nearly two weeks so don't expect an update until then. I just wanted to get the first chapter up, but I promise, first thing when I get back from vacation I'll update chapter numero dos (that means number two for all you non-Spanish speakers out there).


	2. A Way Out

Chapter 2: A Way Out

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"What are you trying to hide from me?" an eerie voice echoed through the desolate room. The question was asked to a rigid body, sprawled across the wood floor. The body was breathing heavily and still from tension.

"N-nothing," the body stammered back.

"Now, Draco," the wizard said condescendingly, "You know that I could tear through your thoughts if I put even an ounce of effort into doing so. That poor and pathetic shield you've put up to stop me would be ripped apart if I tried."

"My Lord," Draco muttered from the floor as he gave a effort to get up, "I swear to you, I –"

"_Crucio!_" Voldemort said effortlessly, his wand pointed straight at Draco. Draco sank back to the floor, his body convulsing in pain, a pain so unbearable and unlike anything else he had ever experienced. The curse struck his very core, shocking him with bolts of agony over and over again.

"Do not lie to me!" Voldemort warned, impatience audible in his voice. "I was giving you a chance to be honest with me, Draco, but you've left me no choice."

He sighed, somewhat dramatically, and then the pain was gone. In it's place, a new, different sensation. The excruciating pain had left Draco's body after what felt like an eternity, but the new feeling was just as bad. It felt like there was a slippery bug, squeezing its way through his head, leaving a slimy and hazy trail in its wake. In a split second, the wormy bug was gone, and Draco was left dazed with his head pounding.

"So that's it?" Voldemort asked somewhat disappointed. "You have doubts of your Lord and of what I'm doing. You worry about your father and your mother, and you think of them constantly. You're regretting your decision in joining me, though you know you had no other choice. And you are trying to think of some way to escape myself and my followers, trying to look for a way out."

Draco cringed, still lying on the ground. This could not be good.

"What to do, what to do," Voldemort contemplated, twirling his wand in deep thought.

"My Lord," Draco stammered, trying to think of an excuse, an explanation…anything, "I did not mean to…I couldn't help –"

This time Voldemort only flicked his wand, and the stabbing and tearing pain returned to Draco. He shook and withered on the floor for what felt like hours. Finally, the pain left, and he laid panting and aching in a small ball.

"Lies, Draco," Voldemort spat, "Nothing but lies." He paced about the room in long, lengthy strides, speaking in an even and rigid voice. "I will not pretend that I am not grateful for your help concerning the downfall of Dumbledore, even though you didn't actually complete your orders. Doesn't matter though, the deed is done, and you have played your part well."

Draco tried to lie as still as he possibly could. _This is all a dream, Draco_, he told himself. _You're going to wake up and realize there's no war, no Voldemort, no terror, and no death_. _It's all a dream, it's all a dream, it's all a dream…_Draco chanted in his mind.

Voldemort smirked at the crumpled form on the ground.

_If only, Draco…if only_. The words cut across Draco's mind like ice, and he shuddered involuntarily.

"There is only one way," Voldemort said aloud, stopping to stand and hover of Draco's form. "Since I am a merciful Lord and since you have completed the nearly impossible task that I gave you, I will spare your life."

"My Lord!" Draco said with fake enthusiasm. Death, he thought, wouldn't be such a bad way out. "Thank you so much, my Lord!"

"But," Voldemort said icily, causing a chill to flood through Draco, "You will need to learn your lesson. Such thoughts that occupy your puny, little mind must be vanquished. And the only way this can be accomplished," he said softly, as he bent down to look at Draco, his wand ready and pointed at the blonde, "is with pain."

Draco screamed as the pain hit him tenfold. If he thought that he was in agony before, it was _nothing_ compared to what he was experiencing now. His body screamed and screeched in misery. Every part of him felt like it was twisting up and tearing itself a part, like a knife was stabbing at him, shredding his skin to pieces. It was horrible…a nightmare.

The pain went on for hours and hours. Every second was worse than the last, and every second Draco silently begged and pleaded for death. It seemed much more welcoming than the constant pain.

In the midst of his torture, Draco felt his body being dragged away from his position on the hard wood floor. But he neither cared nor wanted to know where he was being taken. He could feel himself being hauled through many winding and twisting hallways and down many staircases. Finally, he slowed and then stopped. His body was thrown mercilessly into a room that was almost pitch black. The pain vanished, though Draco couldn't remember when it had stopped, but he could care less. The incessant pain was finally gone, a dull throbbing left in its place. Draco melted against the floor, welcoming the cool and comforting silence of sleep.

When Draco awoke, it took him a second to realize where he was. It felt like everything he went through was one long nightmare, for his dreams were haunted with the happenings of the day before. In his sleep, he could feel the pain being shoved at him, tearing a part his body and mind. Draco moved slightly from his position on the floor, trying to lift his head up. The room was still dark, but it was definitely lighter than he remembered it. Looking up, Draco saw a small window high above him. The room was small, but it was at least two stories high, and at the highest part of the room, a tiny window was placed to let in a bare amount of light.

He sighed to himself, trying to figure a way out. There was no door, and he wondered if he might have been thrown in from the window. Getting up slowly, Draco studied the damage he had sustained. His whole body ached with a raking pain that he doubted would ever go away. His shoulder felt dislocated, maybe from when he had been dragged about? His ribs hurt, but he doubted they were broken.

Draco sat and waited. He had realized that there was only one way he would be able to escape. There was no way he could reach that window, not without a wand anyway. But, if by chance, someone came in to check up on him, he would have a chance at a getaway.

_What do you mean "a chance at a getaway"?_ a tiny voice in his head asked him. Draco froze, his body slightly trembling. Of course, what _had_ he been thinking? He couldn't escape. He couldn't try to leave Voldemort. He just couldn't.

Draco knew he wouldn't survive a week even if he were able to get out of his prison hold. Voldemort was ruthless when tracking down his faithful followers who had gone astray, and Draco was no exception. Especially after his father had failed Voldemort, the dark wizard would be more than ready to punish him by killing his son.

He leaned hopelessly against the cold, stone wall. In a minute, the wall across from him started to shimmer at its side. Draco sat up a bit straighter, watching as a small rectangle shape was beginning to glow against the gray backdrop of stone. He flew to floor, not even thinking, and closed his eyes, faking deep slumber.

"He's still out," a husky voice said, stepping from the glowing rectangle.

"He's been out the whole night," another higher voice answered. Draco could feel the two men standing over him, peering down at his body.

"Don't blame him, though, you know?" the husky voice pointed out. "After what our Lord did to him, I think I'd be out for a week, having to go through the torture the Dark Lord gave him."

"Yeah, I know," the other man answered. "Wonder what he did to get such a beating? You don't think it was just punishment for what Lucius did, do you?"

"Don't really know," the husky voice answered softly, "poor kid."

"Poor kid?" the other man answered, and Draco snuck a peak up at the two. The man who was currently speaking had black hair and beady, black eyes. His features were sharp and his face was set. The other seemed like the exact opposite. He had soft brown hair, and warm hazel eyes. His face was plump and he was bigger than the man with black hair.

"Yeah, poor kid!" the brunette answered his companion. "He's barely eighteen, and he's already being dragged into all this business!"

"He should be proud," the other man said shrilly. "He has the opportunity of a life time!"

"He's still a kid, Baker!" the plump man argued.

"Doesn't matter though, does it?" Baker asked with a smirk. "The Dark Lord's going to kill him anyway, whether he's a kid or not."

"I know," the man agreed sadly, his eyes staying on Draco's rigid form. Draco had stopped breathing when Baker had so happily stated that Draco was going to be killed.

"Let's get out of here," Baker said hastily. "He's not going to kill him yet. A couple more weeks of torture for the kid and then death. I hear the Dark Lord is going to torture him personally!"

Draco could see Baker grinning evilly as he walked back to the shimmering door. Draco watched Baker step through the shimmering door, and the other man turned back to look at Draco. Their eyes locked for a second, a second that seemed to last eternity. Draco could see the utter sadness in this man's face, the truth spilling from his round, hazel eyes. He blinked, and then the man was gone. The shimmering door was gone and so was Draco. His mind dissolved into empty darkness, the reality of his situation finally sinking in.

He collapsed on the ground, letting sleep take over him again, though he wasn't the least bit tired.

* * *

"Come on," a voice said gruffly right next to Draco's ear. Draco sat up abruptly, taking in his surroundings. He was in the same bare room, though it was much darker, almost pitch black, but he could see a darker shadow perched on the ground next to him.

"Wha –?" Draco asked sleepily, but getting himself up quickly despite the sleep that was slowly trying to overtake him.

"Get up!" the voice said urgently, but Draco didn't budge.

"Who are you?" he asked, his senses flying back to him, his sleepiness ebbing away. "Where are you taking me?"

"Doesn't matter," the husky voice answered, yanking Draco to his feet.

"Tell me where you're taking me, or –" Draco demanded, planting his feet firmly on the ground.

"Out!" the man shouted in a hushed voice, and Draco allowed the man to drag him across the room.

"Out?" Draco stammered.

"Yes!" the man said, stopping at the opposite wall. Draco looked at him, the slight light from the moon shining on his face. The man had soft features and round, hazel eyes.

"You…you came in here earlier," Draco stammered, the realization of who the man was dawning on him.

"Yes," he said quickly as the shimmering door appeared in front of them, "Now come on!"

And Draco was pulled through the door. They were running down the halls, turning here and there, going up stairs and then down. The whole thing was a gigantic maze, and Draco knew he would never have been able to find the way out on his own.

_What do you think you're doing?_ An icy voice asked rather calmly inside of his head. Draco's captor froze, and he turned to face Draco.

"He knows," the man gulped, turning his head this way and that. "We can't make it."

"Keep going," Draco ordered, and the man reluctantly kept going. The man knew he was going to die because he tried to help the kid escape, so he might as well _try_ to survive.

_You aren't going to make it._ Voldemort's voice pointed out savagely in his head. _Why even try? I can make your death painless if you stop running now._

But Draco knew this was a lie. If he was going to be tortured before, then it was going to be ten times worse now that he was trying to escape, whether he gave up easily or not. They kept on going, their speed picking up every time they rounded a corner. Voldemort's voice was consistent in Draco's head, and he guessed the same thing was going on with his rescuer. A couple of times the man in front of Draco would freeze, his face going paler every second. Draco would have to push him back into motion to get him going again. In some distant, unconnected part of his brain, Draco wondered what Voldemort was saying to the man.

Behind him, Draco could hear footsteps gaining on them. _Crap_,he thought, as he increased his pace. His rescuer, however, was slowing with every step he took. Draco didn't know whether it was from magic or the man's size, but the wizard he was following was slowing down.

"Come on!" Draco shouted to the wizard as his jog turned into a walk, but the man was slowing even more.

Soon the man started to walk, and Draco could hear the footsteps behind him coming ever closer. He could feel death creeping over his shoulder, closing in on the little hope he had left.

_Just give up, Draco_, Voldemort ordered, and the demand floated calmly through Draco's head. Draco stopped too, and the two of them stayed there standing still, letting the footsteps close in on them.

_That's a good boy_, Voldemort said evenly in his head, and Draco could feel the traces of magic, slipping over his words. He shook his head fiercely, trying to rid himself of the bit of magic that Voldemort had left in his head. Draco looked to the other man, but there was no hope for him. Draco may have been able to free himself from the mind lock Voldemort had put on him, but his rescuer was already trapped by the magic.

Draco turned and ran, only concentrating on the sound of feet hitting stone behind him. He was sorry to have left the man who had saved him, but he wasn't about to die with him for his bravery…or stupidity. Draco kept on running, a cramp developing in his side.

_Stop, Draco_, Voldemort ordered, but Draco kept running. The footfalls behind him had left for a minute, but now they were back, echoing off the stone walls. Draco picked up his pace even more, sprinting down the twisting hallways. Every time he came to a fork in to road, he chose one way, without hesitating. Draco knew he didn't have the time to contemplate which way he should go. Even if he did have the time to think about it, he wouldn't have the slightest idea which way was which.

Finally, Draco's passage ended, a staircase left and the end of the tunnel. He hesitated for only half a second, and then climbed the spiraling stairs, taking them two by two. Every second that passed, Draco could hear the people behind him gaining, but he shook that realization from his head, allowing his adrenaline to take over.

Draco kept running, the steps behind him getting louder and louder, and when he turned around, he could see shadows creeping forward from the darkness. At the exact moment when Draco though he was done for, he saw light protruding from the darkness ahead of him. His hope re-ignited, Draco sped up (if it was even possible), focusing only on the growing light. Soon, flashes of light were flying over his shoulders and narrowly missing his body. The spells and curses came flying at him, just barely missing him.

_You're going to die, Draco_, Voldemort said evilly, breaking the silence of Draco's mind. But Draco didn't really believe him. His hope and adrenaline were overcoming his body and mind, and right when he was about to reach the light, a spell hit him square in the back.

Draco doubled over in pain, and the burn crept through his body. It moved from limb to limb, scorching his muscles, leaving him immobile. The other wizards following him were on him in no time. Blows came from every direction, both by force and by magic. Each hit sent a wave of pain through his body. Draco felt bones break here and there, but he could barely think anymore. A foggy darkness was creeping across his thoughts. It blacked out his vision, slowed and then stopped his thinking.

He lay on the ground, pain overtaking his body. There was nothing left but the pain. Finally, Draco could feel himself slipping away. His mind was already gone, and his body was dying as every second passed. His breathing stopped, and the slowed beating of his heart echoed in his ears. The last thing he heard was an icy laugh that flooded through him.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm done! Sorry it took me forever to get it up, but I promise Chapter 3 by the end of the week! I love you all! Please keep reading and **reviewing**!

**Thanks:** missMANNEQUINx, Ange de l'eau, and Boh! Thanks a bunch for my first three comments! I'd still appreciate more though!


	3. Saving Grace

Chapter 3: Saving Grace

* * *

Ginny bit back the sudden anger that had flooded through her. The lifeless form in front of her had caused the whole wizarding world to be thrown into a worse state of war.

_Doesn't matter_, Ginny thought, halting her own dark thoughts. In that moment, it was like she was back at St. Mungo's. It didn't matter who it was that was lying helpless in front of her. All that mattered was that that person needed help…_her_ help.

Working swiftly, Ginny quickly located the worst of Draco's injuries. He had a couple broken ribs, a broken wrist and leg, and a deep laceration by his right hip. All of this was accented by smaller cuts and bruises. Ginny could fix all these quickly, but there was a more pressing matter at hand:

If Ginny's magic was correct, and she was sure that it was, then Draco had severe internal bleeding. Her magic could sense his blood still pouring into his lungs, making it impossible for Ginny to force his lungs to work. If she got his lungs working properly, then they'd just as quickly suffocate and drown in his own blood again.

She quickly undid his robe, knowing she'd need direct contact with his body to perform the bit of magic that Draco badly needed. Ginny put her hands down on his form: one on his chest and one on his stomach.

She took no time to control her magic or ease her breathing. Instead, she plunged her magic deep within Draco, directly releasing it through her hands. Ginny harnessed her power, wrapping it gently around his inner wounds. She sowed her magic together, lacing it between his torn lungs.

Ginny put all her energy into healing his damaged lungs. She pushed against the natural current of Draco's blood, forcing it back into its proper places. At last, Ginny managed to clear his lungs of the last remaining drops of blood. She could feel the energy draining from her as she sealed off Draco's inner wound. Exhausted, Ginny turned her attention to the fact that he wasn't breathing. Saving his life at this point wouldn't be considered as resurrecting the dead. Only few witches and wizards could perform that task, and it required the darkest of magics. No, Draco was in a sort of in-between. He wasn't truly dead nor was he alive.

Ginny sent her magic out again, this time, quickly and forcefully. She willed the air in and out of his newly fixed lungs, all the while pushing his heart into a steady and repetitive beat.

After a half a minute she examined him: nothing.

_Why isn't this working?_ Ginny wondered frantically.

At St. Mungo's, this is what she was best at: bringing her patients back into the world that their souls were still desperately clinging to. But there was something different with Draco. His body was in working condition, so his soul, his core, should be bale to return to his body. And yet, Ginny could feel the last of him leaving the lifeless body he had once occupied.

"He has no will to stay here," Ginny muttered sadly as the revelation hit her. It was true. His soul wasn't clinging to his body or to the world. Ginny could feel him almost running welcomingly to fixed death.

_I will do everything within my power to save anyone who needs it_. The words came flooding back at Ginny, reminding her of the promise she made herself what felt like _ages_ ago.

_He doesn't even _want_ to be here_, she pointed out to herself, as she felt more of him leaving the earthly world. She thought bitterly of how Draco had directly led to the downfall of Dumbledore and to the worst part of this horrid war.

_Nobody would blame me if I couldn't save him_.

But you can, a voice in her head argued back.

_You don't know that_.

You can save him, and you know it.

_He's already gone! And he wants to leave!_

You can save him, Ginny.

_Oh, what do you know?_

That you'll regret this for the rest of your life if you chose to let him die.

Ginny could tell the voice inside her head had shut-up, leaving her alone to make her decision. She knew that the voice was right, and she sighed angrily as she brought her hands to Draco's cold and clammy face. She wiped away the beads of sweat that had collected on his forehead and began to speak to him, calling him back to earth.

"Malfoy!" she shouted at the body, "Come on!" But nothing happened. Ginny knew her attempt was pathetic. Not even pausing to curse under her breath, she began again.

"Draco," she whispered soothingly, working her hands through his blonde hair, and Ginny could feel a pause in his desperate flight.

"Draco," she said again, a little more urgently, "Come back, come back to me!" She felt him slipping away again, less eagerly, but still leaving nevertheless.

"Draco!" Ginny cried desperately, her own strength diminishing on its own. "Please," she whispered, "Please stay with me!"

But there was nothing. Ginny dropped her head on the table in defeat. Silent tears fell from her eyes, and if she were in a normal state of mind, she'd be appalled by her own behavior. She was weeping over a Malfoy for goodness sake! But that fact didn't matter. He was another person, another casualty, another death.

Her tears continued to fall when she suddenly stopped. The air around had become thick and concentrated with magic. She lifted her head slowly, unbelievingly. Ginny grabbed the warming hand of Draco Malfoy, feeling her wet tears on his skin. The air grew thicker still, but something more had added to the magic congregated around Draco's body. In one quick swoop, it all charged into the lifeless form.

"Draco?" she asked after a moment, and to her disbelief his chest began to rise. Draco moaned in pain, and Ginny remembered that she hadn't healed the rest of his injuries. Pushing away her complete disbelief, she gathered the rest of her power. With the last of her strength, Ginny sent her magic into Draco's body, urging and willing it to heal his injuries.

Ginny breathed normally as she felt her own magic had done its job. Completely forgetting magic, Ginny lifted Draco's light and fragile body off her table, and stumbled to a downstairs bedroom. She dumped his body on the bed with the last of her diminishing strength. Ginny toppled down after him, her exhaustion overcoming her.

* * *

Draco groaned loudly as the dull pain in his body hit him square on. He laid silently, his mind trying to work out what had gone on. Memories of endless tunnels and corridors flashed through his mind, and pain beyond pain came rushing back to him. He grimaced as he remembered the night before completely, up until the moment when everything had faded before him when he thought he was dead.

So where was he now? Heaven—or Hell? Some kind of afterlife? Did such a place even exist? Draco kept his eyes closed as he thought of an explanation, when someone moved in his arms. He opened his eyes quickly, and the sharpness of light forced them shut again. The someone in his arms squirmed closer to him, pressing their body against his. Their body was warm and comforting, and Draco hesitated when letting go.

He pulled his arms away quickly and opened his eyes again. This time, he expected the bright light, and he shielded his eyes with his now free hand. Draco looked down to see a peaceful looking red head asleep on the bed with her back to him. She rustled slightly, and rolled around sleepily.

"What the hell?" Draco shouted, stumbling off the bed and onto the floor once he saw her face.

"Huh?" Ginny said vaguely, sitting up abruptly from her position on the bed.

"A dream," Draco muttered to himself, "this is just a dream."

"Good morning to you too," Ginny said icily, the memories of last coming back to her.

"This isn't real," Draco said to himself, looking up slightly to see if Ginny was still there.

"I'm afraid it is, Malfoy," she spat at him. He looked up at her, confusion evident on his face.

"Wha–?" he asked hesitantly, but stopped.

"First," Ginny said, searching her disheveled robes for something.

"I slept with a Weasley!" Draco muttered to himself, completely disgusted.

"You're welcome, by the way," she said icily, still searching for something.

"Welcome for what?" he scoffed. Like a Weasley could ever do something meaningful for a Malfoy.

"For saving your pathetic life!" she shouted back, her wand in hand and pointed right at him.

"What the hell are you doing, Weasley?" he asked, his voice a pitch higher than normal.

She grinned maliciously at him, "Oh you'll see!"

Draco could do nothing but back up against the wall behind him. He stared at the red head as the room got warmer and the air thicker. In one moment, Draco felt as if he was being suffocated. The air around him was too thick to breathe, and something was clinging to every particle of his body. He choked slightly, as he felt magic wrapping around him, tightening every second.

_She's killing me_, he thought fearfully, and that's what it felt like. For what seemed like an eternity, Ginny's magic wrapped itself around Draco. He could feel it covering and recovering every bit of him, when it finally settled in. He looked at Ginny who was smiling serenely, magic still shimmering on the surface of his body.

"What the hell did you do to me?" asked Draco angrily.

"Oh, nothing _too_ terrible!" Ginny answered triumphantly.

Draco moved and got up, her magic tight around his skin.

"I asked," he said with rage, his face inches from hers, "what the hell you did to me!"

"And why should I tell you?" she asked him, not at all intimidated by his closeness. He seethed angrily, and Ginny just shrugged.

"Tell me right now or else…" Draco threatened, as he reached into his own robes, but his heart sank into his stomach when he couldn't find anything.

"Or else what?" Ginny asked with a girly grin. "I'm not afraid of you."

She watched as he still searched for something. Ginny knew he was looking for his wand, but after a few moments he stopped in defeat.

"Don't have a wand, do you?" she asked him evilly. "Well, then I guess it really doesn't matter, now does it?"

"Just tell me," Draco ordered her, and Ginny enjoyed the annoyance on his face.

_Stupid git_, she thought, as she smirked at him.

"I bound your magic," she stated plainly.

Draco looked at her in confusion. "You what?" he asked.

She smiled at him and flopped down on the bed they had both just awoken from. Draco shook away thoughts of waking up with her in his arms, his skin crawling at the mere memory.

"I bound your magic, you idiot," she said, still grinning. Draco just stared at her, and Ginny's grin got even bigger. Oh, how he wished he could wipe that silly grin off her face. "Well," she said, explaining it like she was talking to a two year old, "If you had a wand, then you wouldn't be able to perform one bit of magic!"

He looked at her, and his disbelief spoke up. "Yeah, right," he said as he shook his head.

"Don't believe me, do you?" she asked and tossed her wand at him. "Here. Now I'm giving you a chance to jynx, hex, or curse me in any way, shape, or form."

She stood up and spread her arms out. Draco looked at her skeptically, the fine, wooden wand in his hand.

"Alright," he smirked as he lifted the wand to her body. "You're going to regret this, Weasley."

"We'll see," she said with a smirk to match his.

_Now, how should I make her pay?_ Draco thought to himself, a list of curses running through his head.

"I'm waiting!" Ginny said maliciously, her arms still spread out at her sides.

"Oh don't worry," Draco assured her, "I'm just thinking of the perfect way to make you pay."

"Pay for saving your life," Ginny said, faking deep contemplation. "Right, because that's the perfect way to repay me!"

"_Crucio!_" he shouted at her, his anger causing him to cast the Torture Curse, but nothing happened. Ginny frowned, and stomped over to him, taking her wand back. She stomped out of the room, and Draco could do nothing but follow, wondering why his curse hadn't worked. He followed her into the hall and into the front room when she rounded on him.

"Stop following me!" she shouted angrily. Draco took a step back, her anger actually frightening him. He watched as she stalked off to the kitchen and decided to follow her even though she warned him not to.

"Now what the hell is _your_ problem?" Draco asked just as angrily, but she didn't flinch the way he had. She didn't even turn to look at him, as she rummaged around in a cupboard, looking for, what Draco suspected, was something to eat. She ignored him as she prepared breakfast for herself.

"Huh?" he asked her again. "What the hell is your problem?"

"_My_ problem?" Ginny asked incredulously. "You're asking what _my_ problem is?"

"Yeah," Draco answered snottily. "_That's_ what I'm asking!"

"My problem is you!" she answered in disgust. "I saved your life, Malfoy. Believe it or not, but I saved your life, despite my hatred for you!"

Draco opened his mouth to intervene, but Ginny glared at him so intensely that he shut up straight away.

"Not only did you not thank me or show _any_ sort of gratitude to me for saving your pathetic and worthless life," Ginny kept on going, her anger rising, "but then you go and try to use an Unforgivable Curse on me!"

"Excuse me," Draco said, trying to defend himself, "but you did tell me to use any jynx, hex, or curse that I could think of!"

She rounded on him again, stepping forward to challenge him. "Are you saying that I told you to use an Unforgivable Curse on me?"

"Well, you did say I could use _any _–"

"You are unbelievable!" Ginny cut him off. "I can't believe that you're blaming me!" She turned away from him, flopping down on the floor in frustration.

"Come on, now. I –"

She glared at him, halting his words. "Do. Not. Talk. To. Me." She ordered through clenched teeth. "Ugh! I should've just let you die!"

Draco watched as she dropped her head in her hands, muttering to herself quietly. She looked worn and weakened. It would be only too easy for him to beat her off to escape…if she didn't have her wand with her, that is. He looked down at his own body. It was probably just as shabby as hers, if not more.

"Alright," Ginny said evenly, "time to go."

Draco looked at her, as she stood up. "What do you mean, 'time to go'?"

"I mean," she spat at him, "It's time to leave."

"Wait," Draco said hesitantly as he followed her out of the empty kitchen to the front door, "Where exactly are we going?"

"To the Ministry!" she said brightly, holding the door out for him. Draco stepped back as the words came from her mouth. "What?" she asked, faking sympathy. "You don't want to join your dear father in Azkaban?"

Draco kept stepping back, and Ginny kept stepping forward.

"That's not very nice, Draco," Ginny said condescendingly. "Don't you want to see your father? Ask him how life in Azkaban is? Don't you want to join him there? Spend the rest of your life in that tiny, cramped, dirty cell?"

Draco gulped involuntarily, "You wouldn't."

"And why wouldn't I?" Ginny asked.

"B-b-because I'd just break out. You know how unreliable the Ministry is these days," he explained to her.

She glared at him, not denying the statement he made.

"That may be true, Malfoy," she said evenly, grabbing his arm with her left hand and her wand pointed straight at his chest with her right, "But I'll turn you into them anyway."

Draco pulled away from her grip, but Ginny kept her wand locked on him.

"Come on," she smirked. "Do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Draco sighed in defeat. _At least it's better than being thrown back to the Dark Lord_ he thought, finding the silver lining.

"Why are you coming?" Ginny asked suspiciously, as Draco stepped forward, ready to head off to the Ministry.

"What?" Draco asked. "Isn't that what you told me to do?"

She looked at him skeptically, "Yes, but…"

"But what?" he asked, trying to play off his helplessness. "You have a wand, I don't. I'm weak and in pain, you're not. I can't make the decisions, and you can."

Draco stepped forward, walking to the open door. He turned around to see a frozen Ginny. She didn't believe his story, not one bit.

"Why are you so eager to be turned in all of sudden?" she asked, staring him up and down.

He sighed in frustration. "I told you! I can't do anything, so I might as well give in!"

"No fight? Not even a bit of a struggle?" she asked, hoping for something to start up.

"Nope," he said, shrugging his shoulders. They sat in silence for a minute, Ginny contemplating his words, and Draco hoping she'd believe them, the fear of having to face Voldemort strong in his mind.

"What happened to you?" she asked quietly, and she saw Draco cringe slightly.

"Uh…" Draco started, searching for the words, "An accident, just an accident."

"An accident?" Ginny wondered, stepping up to him and closing the door, almost shutting it on his fingers.

"Yeah…" he said, "We were…uh…learning this new, bad ass curse…and it went wrong…I guess they left me for dead."

Ginny held in a laugh, but it came out as a snort, and Draco looked at her, abashed.

"A new, bad ass curse?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Yes!" Draco replied indignantly. He didn't like the way the dumb Weasley made him feel so stupid.

She laughed slightly, but stopped when she saw Draco glaring at her.

"Oh, come on!" Ginny cried, defending herself, "That was THE lamest excuse _ever_!"

"It was not!" he argued back, but bit his tongue as he realized what he just admitted.

She raised her eyebrows, "Okay, maybe it wasn't the lamest excuse ever, but you just admitted that it was an excuse nonetheless."

"No I didn't," Draco said uselessly.

"Stop it!" Ginny yelled at him, true anger in her voice. "I'm not stupid, you know!"

"Really?" Draco asked, pushing Ginny a little further, "Because I thou–"

Draco never got to finish his sentence before _WHAM!_ Ginny had slapped him across the face as hard as she could, a slight satisfaction lighting up her face as she saw the red hand print appearing on his pale skin. He backed away, his hand to his cheek, cursing out loud.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" he roared at her, though Ginny just glared right back at him.

"You are utterly pathetic!" Ginny spat at him. "Did you know that? You are so effing rude to me, though I shouldn't have expected anything else, but I did save your life. Whether you wanted to live or die, you _should_ show me a little gratitude!"

"Show you some gratitude?" Draco asked her incredulously. "When you go around slapping me and binding my magic?"

Ginny sighed in frustration. "You know what," she said, throwing her hands into the air, "Screw the Ministry. Why don't I just bring you straight to Voldemort himself?"

Draco flinched only slightly at the sound of his master's name and cringed at the idea of being turned into him…but Ginny didn't notice. He silently prayed that she wasn't serious.

"Fine," he said evenly, "That'd be completely fine."

"Because sooner or later you'll do something wrong, and then good ol' Voldemort will give you a better punishment than the Ministry ever could!" Ginny cried triumphantly, turning her attention to Draco. His face was stark white, and she saw his body was tense and rigid.

"Yeah," Draco said again, "That'd be fine."

"You do realize that you're a terrible liar, don't you?" Ginny asked, stalking up to him.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" he said indignantly.

"Oh, come on, Draco," Ginny said. "We already went through this, don't you remember? You tried to lie to me, and I caught you. Remember? I'm not stupid."

They stared at each other for a long moment. Draco didn't say anything. He knew he'd been caught, and it was pointless to try to lie to the Weasley. However annoying she may be, she wasn't stupid.

"So what happened?" Ginny asked taking a seat on the couch nearby. "I mean, it all comes down to that question: What happened?"

Draco sighed and sat down next to her. He slid over to the end of the couch hurriedly when their legs touched. Then, he retold the story to her, explaining how he'd been caught and tortured, how the pathetic rescue mission went astray. Through it all, he kept looking at her face, trying to contemplate her reactions. After the story was told, they sat in silence again. Ginny was looking off into the distance, and Draco was dying to know what she was thinking about.

"So you never wanted to be a Death Eater?" she asked finally, her voice small and quiet.

"No, well yes." She looked up at him, shocked. "But only at first. It made me feel," he turned away from her but still felt her eyes studying him, "important, or something…but then things got harder. I was told to kill people—to actually _take_ peoples' lives away from them. When the time came for it, I could never follow through. The Dark Lord had always been disappointed that I'd never been able to completely follow my first orders, but when I couldn't carry out anything else, he became furious."

He looked back at Ginny, her mouth was set in a fine line, and Draco could tell she was holding in her anger for his sake.

"I didn't want to kill him," Draco whispered, referring to Dumbledore, for that was what had upset Ginny, "and I wouldn't have."

"But you're the reason he's dead," she said evenly, no compassion or sympathy for Draco. "You're the reason so many people are going to die!"

"Come on, Weasley!" He argued. "I didn't want the job in the first place! The only reason it was given to me was because of the mistakes my father made!"

"You just don't get it," Ginny said, standing up. "I don't care whether you wanted to do what you did or not! The fact is that you did it. You got rid of the only wizard Voldemort ever feared! You helped kill the wizard that would've helped end this war! You killed every single person's hope that there would be a time when they wouldn't have to worry or fear about their loved one's being killed or their lives torn apart!"

She stood there, glaring down at Draco. She breathed in heavily, trying to control her voice.

"You ruined everything," she whispered and then stalked away.

Draco didn't follow her. She needed time to cool off, so he sat on the couch, just thinking. Had he really done all that? _Of course I did_, he answered himself icily. He knew getting into the job that if he was successful, it would mean a _huge_ victory for the Dark Lord.

"What did I do?" he asked himself angrily. Draco had thought many times of the task he had completed, often wondering whether he was proud of his successfulness or whether he regretted it. He sighed and laid back on the couch in frustration, falling into a light sleep. Draco let the coolness of slumber clear his mind and take away his current troubles.

**A/N: **Hope you like Chapter 3! I know I do! I'm hoping to get the next chapter up reeeeeeally soon, and I'm gonna try to get some action in the story! Well, the only way to find out is if you keep **reading **and **reviewing**!

**Thanks:** missMANNEQUINx and Ange de l'eau! You guys always give me reviews, and it means SO much to me! Thanks so much, and please keep the reviews coming! I'd also appreciate any suggestions that any might have, so I can try to make my story the best it can be!


	4. What A Mess

Chapter 4: What A Mess

* * *

Draco tossed and turned from his position on the couch, his sleep anything but peaceful. His dreams had started out simple enough. It was one of those weird dreams that really doesn't make sense but is amusing nonetheless. Then everything got dark, a thick haze intruding upon his dream and mind.

"Noooo!" Draco heard a woman shriek. His heart quickened as he tried to see through the thick fog that was his mind. A silhouette appeared in the deep fog; it was a woman. She was crouched in the corner of a room. Her shoulders were heaving, making it obvious that she was crying. In an instant, the hazy picture became clear. Narcissa Malfoy was crying in the corner of one of the rooms in the Malfoy Mansion.

"Mother!" Draco cried out, but Narcissa didn't hear him. Her crying subdued as she picked up her wand from the wood floor. Sobbing, she brought her shaking hand to her temple.

"Draco," she stammered, her wand still at her temple.

"Mother!" Draco answered, but, again, she couldn't hear him. Narcissa gulped and took a deep breath. "Mother, what are you doing?" Draco asked the woman, knowing she wouldn't answer him, but he was terrified to words nonetheless.

"I love you, Draco," the disheveled woman stated firmly. "I'll be with you soon."

"No!" Draco shouted aloud as a bright green flash blinded him. When the light faded, Draco could see the crumpled form of his mother sprawled on the wood floor, her body still and limp. "Mother, no!" he shouted, as if it would make a difference.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked, floating through Draco's thoughts.

"No," Draco spat out through choked tears. "No, no, no, no!" he screamed as he collapsed next to his mother's form.

"Malfoy?" the voice asked soothingly, but Draco ignored it, focusing on his mother's dead body.

"What have you done, Mother?" he asked sadly, stroking the woman's silver blonde hair.

"Mother?" the voice asked, perplexed. "What on earth are you talking about, Malfoy?"

The words floated in one of Draco's ears and out the other. His mind couldn't get passed his mother's lifeless body sprawled out beneath him. He let the tears fall freely from his cheeks as he mourned his mother's death. _How could this have happened?_ His mind screamed the question he'd never know the answer to. _Why on earth would she do this?_ But his mind went back to her last words: "I'll be with you soon." What did she mean by that?

"For goodness sake, Malfoy!" the voice shouted at him, and Draco finally heard the words. "Wake up!"

"Ouch!" Draco said, alarmed, as he was hit upon the head. He opened his eyes slowly to see the Weasley standing over him, her eyes showing slight concern. He blinked slowly and wiped away tears from his cheeks, wondering when and why he had been crying. "What the bloody hell was that for?" he questioned the red head.

The concern Ginny's eyes held was gone. In its place was anger.

"You're unbelievable!" Ginny said, walking away from the disheveled blonde.

"Why?" Draco shouted right back at her, though his mind was on something else…something that felt like it was slipping away.

"Ugh!" Ginny sighed, "Just because you are!"

He looked at her, letting whatever was tugging at his mind to slip away entirely. "Hey! _You_ are the one that hit _me_!"

"With a _pillow_!" Ginny said, exasperated, holding up the wimpy pillow that was still in her hands.

"Still," Draco said, rubbing the spot on his head where she had hit him.

"Sissy," Ginny said under her breath. Draco threw her a dirty look, so Ginny chucked the pillow at him. Draco picked up the pillow and threw it right back at her. Ducking, Ginny avoided the pillow easily. She watched it as it soared over her head and into the kitchen. "Nice try," she said with a laugh. Ginny ignored his glare as she walked over to the closet and got her cloak. Wrapping it around herself, Ginny walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked her as she reached the front door.

"To work, if you must know," Ginny stated plainly.

She opened the door as Draco shouted after her, "What am I supposed to do?"

Ginny stopped and stepped back into her house.

"Look, Malfoy," Ginny stated evenly, "I don't care what you do. Leave. Go wherever you want. Do whatever you want. I don't care." Ginny stepped out the door again, leaving Draco alone in her house.

Draco sat back on the couch with a sigh. What _was_ he going to do? She obviously didn't care about turning him in or else she'd have done it already. Where could he go? Back to the Malfoy Mansion?

The Malfoy Mansion. An imagine of a lone room surfaced in his mind: it was the study. Why had he thought of that specific room? He had hardly ever gone in there, having not felt the urge to take down a book and just read.

"Hmmm…" he said aloud, contemplating what he should do. He didn't really _have_ anything to do. He was free from Voldemort and the Death Eaters, something that was nearly impossible. If he had merely escaped, they would have tracked him down and killed him. But, and this was the sweet part, they already thought they had killed him. They had beaten the crap out of him when he was fleeing and had tried to kill him. The Dark Lord wouldn't be happy that he missed out on torturing Draco, but that didn't matter.

Oddly, Draco got up and decided to look around. Maybe he'd find something interesting in the pathetic building that the Weasley's called their home.

* * *

Ginny rushed in the room, forcing herself to be prepared for the next person. Scanning the room quickly, Ginny saw an unattended body in the corner of the room. She quickly knelt next to the injured form. The person was crumpled and limp, and it looked like someone had just tossed the body in the corner of the room. But when Ginny entered the room, she understood why. Every inch of the small room was taken up by Healers and their patients, many of them tending to bodies on the floor, like Ginny.

Ginny looked over the body quickly. The woman wasn't breathing, and her whole form was bloody. Ginny choked back the wave of nausea that passed as she touched the bloody body. The blood was everywhere, as Ginny searched for the source of it all. She gave up stopping the blood flow first when she couldn't find the wound right away. Instead, Ginny let her magic flow through the woman, forcing her lungs to work. She worked at it for a few minutes, trying to get the woman's heart beating as well, but there was nothing.

Ginny pulled her magic away, completely exhausted. She looked down at the bloody and crumpled form that was long gone from this world. Ginny sighed in defeat and leaned against the wall next to her, her hands shaking and heart thumping.

"Weasley?" the magical voice came across the room, directed to her ears only.

"Yes?" she asked weakly, her eyes never leaving the dead woman.

"Status?" it asked her.

"Dead." Ginny croaked as she smoothed back the woman's matted hair.

The voice didn't falter for one second, "Right. Room 47 needs you."

Ginny picked herself up from the ground and staggered from the room. She knew someone would be in there to take care of the body. Ginny had seen it before and was glad that it wasn't her job. She stumbled into the hallway, her mind a tangle of thoughts and emotions. _No_ she told herself firmly. She couldn't break down, just couldn't. It was just another day at St. Mungo's, another death.

_Keep going, Gin_, she told herself. _Keep going_.

So she did. She managed to get to Room 47. Managed to save another life. Managed to forget the smell of blood (for the moment, at least). Managed to block the horrid images that would keep popping up in her mind…Ginny managed to keep going. It was almost simple once she got it down. The key was setting yourself away the world around you. When Ginny was facing another limp form, she'd work her hardest and wouldn't give up. But that was it. She'd done what she could, and then it was back to being detached. Detached and unemotional.

At the end of a long day's worth of work, Ginny disapparated home. She smiled slightly at the sight of her cozy home and briskly set forward to be welcomed by it.

"Oh, it's good to be home," Ginny stated serenely, as she stepped into her comforting house.

"And what's so special about this shabby old _thing_ that you call a house?" sneered a voice from the kitchen.

Ginny closed her eyes slowly, hoping and praying she was imagining things. She turned around on the spot and opened her eyes slowly. Standing in her kitchen was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Oh, lord," Ginny muttered, as she collapsed against the front door. "_Please_, let me be dreaming." She closed her eyes once more and counted back from ten slowly. When she got to one, Ginny opened her eyes again, but nothing had changed. Draco Malfoy was eating _her_ food, sitting at _her_ kitchen table, in _her_ house.

"I can understand why someone might want to dream about me," he said in between bites and then asked with raised eyebrows, "but why dream of me when you can have me in reality?"

"Ugh," Ginny groaned from her position on the floor.

"What?" Draco asked as food fell from his open mouth. "What'd I say?"

Ginny got up quickly and hurried to her room. She slammed the door and flopped down on her bed, falling asleep as her head hit the blankets. Ginny's dreams started out very peaceful. She was back at Hogwarts, laughing and smiling with her friends gathered around her. And Harry was beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist. He was smiling at her, and Ginny couldn't help but blush.

"No!" came an earth shattering shout. Ginny's head whipped around as she searched for the source of the scream, but there was nothing. Harry gently squeezed her waist, bringing her attention back to her friends. Ginny laughed and smiled with them, but the scream still echoed in her ears.

"Oh, please, no!" shouted the same voice, and this time Ginny couldn't ignore it. She left her friends and Harry, who looked at her questioningly, but let her leave all the same. Ginny kept walking, and when she glanced back, everyone was gone and everything was dark.

"Hello?" Ginny asked tentatively to no one. "Hello? Is anyone there?" She kept walking, but it was getting dark really fast. Within a minute, Ginny could only see a foot in front of her. Everything was pitch black, and suddenly, it was freezing cold out. Ginny shivered as the wind whipped around her. Then the dark was all around her, pressing in on all sides. Ginny couldn't breathe; it was suffocating her. Just when her last breath was being drained from her, the same shout pulled her from the darkness and her dream.

"NO!" came the shout from downstairs. Ginny sat upright in her bed, beads of sweat dripping from her temples. She flung off the blanket and ran downstairs. The whole house was dark, and Ginny shivered, her dream flashing back at her.

"No, no, no…" Draco murmured as he tossed and turned on the couch in Ginny's family room.

"Malfoy!" Ginny shouted loudly, and Draco woke with a start.

"Huh?" he asked sleepily, looking around the room and then staring at Ginny.

"At least I didn't have to use a pillow this time," Ginny said as she rolled her eyes.

"What happened?" he asked sleepily.

"Well," she said with a deep breath, "you screamed so bloody loud that you woke _me_ up."

"I-I did?" he asked with a frown. He closed his eyes in concentration, like he was trying with all his might to think of something.

"Did you have a bad dream or something?" Ginny asked tentatively, but Draco didn't answer. He stayed in his position on the couch, his eyes closed tight and his face set in a frown. Ginny waited a few moments before she spoke again, "Mal–?"

"Hush!" he ordered shortly. Ginny opened her mouth to retort back, but bit her tongue instead. There was something about the look on his face. Underneath the thin line that was his mouth, the scrunched eyebrows, and the tightly closed eyes, there was pain, confusion, and grief. Ginny spent their moments of silence scrutinizing his features. They were more delicate than usual, even vulnerable.

"It's gone," Draco said suddenly, and Ginny couldn't help but jump slightly.

"What is?" she asked to cover her jitters.

"The dream," he said with a sigh, closing his eyes once more, "the nightmare."

"Didn't you have a nightmare last night too?" Ginny asked delicately.

"I think so," Draco said as he sat up, "but I can't remember. I don't think the dreams were the same, but…ugh, I dunno." He sat there in frustration, and Ginny was silent…for the most part. Her grumbling stomach interrupted the silence, and she saw Draco's familiar smirk reappear on his face.

"Hungry?" he asked with a grin.

Ginny closed her eyes, slightly embarrassed. "A little," she mumbled.

"Well," he asked quietly, looking as if he was going to get up, "do you want something to eat?"

She looked at him skeptically. "Alright, sure."

"Okay," he said with a smirk, kicking his feet back and lying down again, "then go make something for yourself."

Ginny frowned, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well," Draco said, feigning contemplation, "I _did_ wake you up in the middle of the night. I guess the least I can do is make you something to eat." He jumped up from the couch, not at all sleepy, and waltzed into the kitchen.

"That's very kind of you, though it won't take you very long anyway." She pointed out.

"And why might that be?" he asked, searching her cupboards for something to eat.

"Because you can use mag—" Ginny started but then stopped. She had forgotten that she had bound his magic.

"What was that?" he called to her, his head stuck into the cupboard. Ginny frowned, hearing the knowing smirk in his voice.

"Oh, come on," she said, defending herself. "It's not like you could do magic even if I unbound yours. You don't even have a wand!"

"Ahh," he said, emerging from the cupboard with a bunch of items in his hands, "but that's beside the point, isn't it?"

Ginny looked at him incredulously. "No, that _is_ the point!" Man, he was infuriating!

"Actually," Draco said plainly, "you're wrong. If you unbound my magic, I could do anything. I could hex you into oblivion, clean this dump of house in a second, weed your garden out back, break the spell on your diary, fix up the rest of my scrapes and bruises that you failed to heal, and be able to whip up some magnificent food for the both of us in a heart beat. The fact that I don't have a wand is inconsequential."

"What?" Ginny asked, flabbergasted. "The fact that you don't have a wand is NOT inconsequential! That's the­…" she stopped mid-sentence to glare at him angrily. A few moments of silence caused Draco to look up from his project and into her death glare.

"What?" he asked her hesitantly.

"'Break the spell on your diary'?" Ginny quoted fiercely, sending waves of hatred at him.

"I…err…oh," he stopped abruptly, not knowing what kind of reaction would get him into the least bit of trouble.

"You read my diary?" she accused him angrily.

"No, no," Draco assured her. "Remember? I said I couldn't break the spell on your diary…so _obviously_ I didn't read it."

Ginny gaped at him. "And what, may I ask, were you doing searching through my room and drawers?"

"Err…" Draco answered hesitantly, trying to find a reasonable answer. "I was bored?" he tried.

"Bored?" Ginny cried at him. "So you thought you'd just invade _my_ personal space and go searching through my room? Just thought you'd shove aside _any_ morals you _might_ have and go through my things?"

They stared at each other for a moment. Draco was trying to think up the next lie, and Ginny was ready and waiting for the next crap that came out of his mouth.

"Maybe?" he tried.

"Ugh!" Ginny said, infuriated, as she threw her hands in the air. "I give up!"

She turned on the spot and went straight up to her room, slamming the door once more. Ginny flopped tiredly on the bed, watching the sun as it slowly began to peek out from the horizon. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. The kid was seriously going to give her a heart attack. It was worse living with him than it had been with Fred and George. At least they had been amusing.

A knock came from her door, and Ginny groaned loudly.

"Go away," she ordered simply. Another knock. "Do you not understand English anymore?" she asked rudely. "I said, go away!" Ginny tensed for a moment, waiting for another knock. She sighed, and let her head rest gently on the bed.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Ginny groaned again, but ignored it.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

_Nope_, she said to herself,_ not listening_.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

_Still_ not listening.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

"Ugh!" Ginny roared, flinging herself from her bed and wrenching the door open. "What the bloody hell do you want?" She glared at Draco, but her death glare faltered as she saw the peace offering he held in his hands. Ginny looked from the thing on the plate to Draco and then back again.

"What is it?" she asked, despite herself. Draco grinned, and Ginny couldn't help but smile. He almost looked normal at the moment. The typical smirk he had ruined his naturally good features, but the goofy grin he had on now accented his natural good looks. Ginny frowned in disgust as she realized what she was thinking.

"You don't like it?" He asked, his voice betraying his hurt. He must have mistaken Ginny's frown at herself for the thing he'd constructed for her.

"No, no," Ginny tried to assure him. She opened her mouth to say more, but couldn't think of anything honest to say. Instead, she asked, "So…what is it?"

Draco grinned again, and said, "A sandwich!"

Ginny tried to smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace. "Oh, right…a sandwich. Excellent…exactly what I wanted."

He held the plate out to her, and she took it tentatively. It _kind of_ looked like a sandwich. The bread on both ends definitely signaled that it was a sandwich…but its innards were looking very toxic to Ginny.

"See," Draco explained, "you didn't have any sort of meat or anything, so I used beans! And you were kind of lacking on the condiments, so I used peanut butter! Then I threw in some other stuff I found in your cupboards that I thought would go well with it!"

Ginny looked to Draco, hoping he was joking. Nothing. She looked back at the "sandwich," tilting it this way and that to see if it looked more appetizing from a different angle.

"So," Draco said, breaking the awkward silence. Ginny opened her mouth again to say something, but, again, had to close it for the lack of honest words that would come out.

Finally, she looked up at him questioningly and asked, "Are you trying to kill me?"

Draco looked at her in confusion, "What?"

"I said," Ginny repeated, looking back at the death ticket in front of her that seemed to be decaying every second that they stood there, "are you trying to kill me?"

Draco said nothing, so Ginny spoke again.

"Look at this!" she said, thrusting it in front of his face. "It looks like it'd kill me even if I _touched_ it!" She looked back at the thing in her hands. "What is this neon green stuff, here?" she asked, pointing at something that was gooey and oozing from underneath the bread.

Draco frowned slightly, betraying his disappointment, but then pulled on his impartial mask. "Well, if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it!" he told her angrily.

"Phew," Ginny said relieved, "Good because I _definitely_ don't want to eat it."

Draco glared at her, and Ginny felt a twinge of guilt, "Come on, Malfoy!" she argued. "Look at it! Would _you_ want to eat this?" Ginny asked, thrusting it closer to his face.

"If someone made it for me, then yes, I would!" he answered defiantly.

"Uh, huh," Ginny said absently, glancing back at the thing on the plate. It seemed to have grown from the time it'd been presented to her. "Right," Ginny said. "So, we're going to play a game!" Draco looked at her like she was crazy. "Just go with me here, Malfoy. Now, let's pretend that _I_ had made the deadly sandwich and that _I_ had given it to you."

She gave the plate and the sandwich to Draco, feeling cleaner when she had done so. Draco looked at her expectantly.

"Right," Ginny said, "Now eat it."

"Bu–," he argued, but Ginny cut him off.

"Just pretend, Malfoy. I made you this…delectable," she twitched as she said the word, "sandwich. Now eat it."

Draco turned the "sandwich" as Ginny had done, trying to find _something_ appetizing about it. She cringed as she discovered some kind of purplish substance on the bottom piece of bread. It looked runny and chunky at the same time. Draco stood, examining his piece of work for a couple minutes. Then, with out a word, he waltzed into Ginny's room, opened the window, and tossed the "sandwich" and plate out of it. He walked back to Ginny, who was trying to conceal a grin, slowly.

"Well," Draco stated calmly, "I decided that if someone had the misfortune to eat that…thing, then they'd probably die," he paused, and then added, "or become very ill."

They stood there awkwardly, until Draco broke out into a grin.

"Okay, now that we've taken care of that national hazard," he stated, as Ginny giggled, "Do you want to whip us up something actually _edible_?" He grinned, and Ginny nodded agreement. They made their way to the kitchen, and with the flick of her wand, Ginny had breakfast cooking on its own.

"So, what are we having?" Draco asked hungrily.

"Eggs and toast," Ginny answered, surveying the food as it cooked and readied itself on its own. "Oh," she said, turning around, "And some orpples, if you'd like."

"Orpples?" Draco asked.

"Oh, it's this fruit that Fred and George managed to concoct when they were younger," Ginny explained, but Draco still looked confused. "It's mix of an apple and an orange."

Draco hesitated, not sure if he was ready to try something new after the sandwich disaster.

"They're delicious," Ginny assured him, "trust me. Now, there's a tree out back. You might have discovered it while you were searching everywhere today," she said a little too pointedly, "But if you just want to go pick some, then that'd be great."

Draco reluctantly got up from his chair and strolled out back. Indeed, he had seen the tree earlier during his little expedition. It had intrigued him then, and it did now when he stared at it. The orpples were round in shape and a red-orange in color. They looked appetizing as they hung innocently from the short tree. Draco picked half a dozen, and then turned to return to the house.

When he passed by the garden, he stepped back as two garden gnomes were fighting with tooth and nail over something slimy and discolored. Draco cringed as he realized it was the sandwich he'd thrown from Ginny's window just earlier.

He hurried back inside to see Ginny setting the table, the eggs and toast already placed out.

"So you know that sandwich?" Draco asked as he set down the orpples.

"I don't think you can hardly call it a sandwich," she pointed out without looking up.

"Fine," Draco said, exasperated. "You know that thing that _tried_ to pass as a sandwich?"

Ginny grinned as she looked up at him, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, I think we're about to find out if it really was toxic or not," Draco informed her. She raised her eyebrows at him questioningly.

"You didn't eat it, did you?" she asked seriously.

"Of course not," he said, "I'm not that dumb. But your garden gnomes seem to be. I passed two of them fighting over it on my way back. It looked even worse than when I tossed it out the window…" he paused to think. "What's odd, and a little disturbing, is the fact that the sandwich stuck together even though I threw it from a two story house."

"Ugh," Ginny moaned. "Stop, I'm losing my appetite."

They both sat down at the kitchen table and began to eat ravenously. Even though they'd just be discussing the sandwich, both Ginny and Draco were starving. They ate in silence, just existing in the other's company. After they had eaten their fill, they sat back in their chairs, lost in their own thoughts.

"So, what now?" Draco asked after quite a bit of time.

"Err," Ginny said, "Well, I have to go into work now."

"And what am I supposed to do?" he asked her again, just like the day before.

"Anything," Ginny said truthfully, but added, "Anything that doesn't include trying to break into my diary or going through my personal things."

"Right," Draco said not really listening, his mind racing with all the things he would do that day.

Ginny shook her head in defeat, and went up to her room to get ready quickly. She showered faster than fast, and was out the door sooner than expected. Looking back before she closed the door, she searched the front rooms for a sign of Malfoy, but he was nowhere to be seen. She sighed, but closed the door all the same and apparated to St. Mungo's.

The day passed in a haze, and Ginny was oddly happy. Or as happy as one could be in times like these. She managed to save every one of her patients that day and didn't allow her hopelessness to bring her down. At the end of the very long day, she quickly made it to her home. The sight of her house sent a warm sensation through her body, and she rushed forward, opening the front door.

When she opened the door, her heart sank. A cold chill hit her body hard as she backed up against the closed door. In front of her was a complete and total disaster. The couch was over turned, pictures hung askew on the walls, and a bunch of odds and ends littered the floor.

"Hello?" she called out tentatively. Ginny stepped forward, avoiding the mess on the floor. "Malfoy?" she asked a little louder. She stepped cautiously around debris, making her way to the kitchen, wand out just in case.

Ginny didn't even have time to gasp in shock as a hand covered her mouth. She was pulled back and pressed against the wall. Ginny closed her eyes, hoping she was just dreaming…though she knew she wasn't.

**

* * *

**

A/N:

Haha! I left you with a cliffhanger!! Well, I will hopefully have the next chapter up soon. I'm pretty good with updating and such…considering I really have nothing else to do. Ah, how I love beautiful summer days wasted in front of the computer. Haha.

So, a terrible thing happened while writing this chapter. I was worried that my imagination was broken!! Ah! I could NOT, for the life of me, think of anything to write. I know I got this chapter up quickly, but I spent FOREVER in front of the computer, longer than I have for all my other chapters. Hmm…maybe I just had a short attention span? Oh well, I believe it's gone now.


	5. Intrusion

Chapter 5: Intrusion

* * *

Ginny struggled in shock and terror as the arm around her tightened. She fought and struggled and tried to call out for help, but the hand covering her mouth prevented her from doing so.

"Ginny!" a voice whispered urgently right next to her ear. Ginny stopped, her breathing still heavy and uneven. The arms around her loosened, and Draco Malfoy moved quietly and quickly to her side. She opened her mouth to speak, but Draco shook his head fiercely so she stopped.

Ginny raised her eyebrows, questioning what was going on. She didn't like the look on Draco's face. He was paler than normal, and his forehead was scrunched in anxiety.

"Did you hear that, Bartle?" called a voice from the hallway. Ginny whipped around to see who was there, but Draco pulled her down to the ground.

"Huh?" came another voice—Bartle—from the same direction. "Hear what?"

"I'm not exactly sure," the first voice said, moving into the living room. Ginny could feel her heart racing as she saw two shadowy figures enter the joint room. If they looked over to the kitchen, Ginny and Draco would be clearly visible. Draco seemed to notice the same problem, so he nodded his head in the other direction. Ginny agreed.

"What do you think it is?" the man named Bartle asked. Ginny and Draco saw them turn in the other direction, knowing this was the only chance they'd have to move. Cautiously, they crept deeper into the kitchen, keeping an eye on the two intruders.

"Lanley?" Bartle asked his companion.

"Hush!" Lanley ordered. As Ginny and Draco backed into a hiding position against the far wall, they saw Lanley whip around. "Did you hear _that_?" he questioned Bartle.

Bartle shook his head, but Lanley wasn't paying any attention. He strolled across the living room and towards the front door, peering into the pitch-black kitchen. Ginny froze, fearing the loud beat of her heart would give them away.

"Are you sure you aren't hearing things, Lanely? What with your hearing leaving you in your old age and everything," Bartle said casually. Lanely spun around, his anger evident in his voice.

"Old age? I'm only 45!" he shouted loudly. "_You're_ older than I am!"

They began to argue, flinging insults at each other back and forth. Ginny and Draco continued to back up, still eyeing their intruders. They were almost at the back door when the arguing stopped. From their new position they couldn't see Bartle or Lanley, so when they stopped arguing, both Draco and Ginny froze. They held their breath, listening with all their might for any kind of sound.

The whole house was silent. Suddenly, a floorboard creaked from the direction which Draco and Ginny had just come from. In that instant, Ginny knew. Somehow, one or both of their intruders had realized where they were and had nearly cornered them. Ginny drew out her wand, mentally scolding herself for not having it out earlier. She looked at Draco and nodded toward the back door, hoping he would take the hint to leave while he still could.

Draco shook his head, knowing he would never leave her alone in the house with two dangerous men…even if she was a Weasley. Ginny pushed him at the door and stood up, sending curses out into the dark.

"_Stupefy!_" she cried, and Draco thought he heard a thud as something or someone hit the floor.

Ginny's heart was racing as she cast spells into the blackness. The living room had been lit up by moonlight, but she couldn't even see her wand out in front of her while in the kitchen. Someone hit the floor, and she was sure she'd hit one of the two men.

"Ah!" Ginny squeaked, as a particularly nasty hex hit her square in the chest. She fell backwards as the pain seared through her body. Looking up she saw Draco lunge forward. Ginny reached out an arm and tried to call out, but nothing happened. Her voice was gone. Ginny's arm fell back down and she tried to get up, but her body wouldn't respond. She couldn't move. The room started closing in around her. She tried to breathe in fresh, life-saving air, but her lungs wouldn't function. She couldn't _breathe_.

The last thing Ginny remembered, before her mind went completely blank, was being lifted up by strong, powerful arms.

* * *

Ginny cringed, feeling the stabbing pain that was attacking her whole body. She opened her eyes slowly but couldn't see anything. The darkness pressed in around Ginny as she tried to sit up.

"You had me worried," a voice stated simply from behind her. Ginny twirled around quickly, but regretted it as soon as she did when a bolt of pain shot through her head. Draco sat on the ground, looking drained, but a genuine smile tugged at his lips.

"You?" Ginny said with a smile as she sat up. "I had _you_ worried?" She groaned involuntarily as her body protested movement.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. Ginny looked into his eyes…he seemed almost concerned.

"Never mind me," she said, "But let's get back to the part about you being worried about me." Ginny grinned at him, and if a Malfoy could blush, then Draco would've at that moment. Had he really been concerned? The thought floated through Draco's head, and Ginny waited patiently for him to answer.

"See, the thing is," he fumbled, "It's just 'cause I had the obligation to save you. You know, the whole dangerous scene, got to fight off two evil men and save the damsel in distress. But then you got hurt, and it ruined the whole thing." He was rambling now, and it just made Ginny smile even more. "So, I didn't want my image as the manliest of men to get ruined…and if you had been injured, then my whole image would've been shattered…and that would not have been good…yeah…"

"Uh, huh," Ginny answered sarcastically. Then the images from earlier flashed through her head. "What happened back there?" she asked him. "I passed out or something after I got hit by that spell."

Draco looked away uncomfortably.

"What?" Ginny asked in confusion. He had obviously gotten them out of there safely, so what was the big deal?

"Nothing. Well, you hit one of them with a stunning spell, but then the other one got you. Then, I dunno, I sort of tackled him." Draco explained somewhat awkwardly.

"Tackled him?" she asked with raised eyebrows, "As in, what muggles do?"

"I guess," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "It was the only thing I could think of since I couldn't do magic." Ginny looked at him angrily so he added, "Since I didn't have a wand either. Besides, it worked. The guy hit his head when we hit the floor, and he was out. Then, I just got us out and as far away as I could manage."

"How far away?" Ginny asked wearily. Whoever the two intruders had been, she was sure they weren't friends.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I just grabbed you and ran. I entered the woods behind your house, and I just kept running. Err, for maybe an hour? I tried to run most of the way, but I ended up walking after a while."

"Hmm…" Ginny said, thinking. "Well that doesn't get us very far. We're not very far in."

"Well, you can try carrying someone and running at the same time. All the while your heart's beating so loud that you feel like you're going to become deaf any second. But you can't become deaf because you're still straining to hear if anyone's following you, or if there's anything else out there. Yeah, I'd like to see you try that," Draco snapped.

"Whoa," said Ginny, "Hold on there. I wasn't accusing you or anything," she tried to explain. "I was just pointing out that maybe we need to keep going. You know, put just a little more distance between us and my house."

"Whatever," Draco replied.

"Look, I'll carry _you_ if it was _that_ big of a deal," Ginny said angrily. Boy, he was moodier than a girl!

Draco shook his head and sighed. "No, never mind. I'm just tired; that's why I snapped. Besides, you were incredibly light," he pointed out.

"Thank you?" Ginny said uneasily. First he was worried about her and now he was giving her compliments. What was going on?

"No problem," he answered unemotionally. "Well, we should get going."

Ginny nodded her head in agreement, "Right."

"Now," he said seriously, scratching his head, "Which direction?" He got up gracefully and spun in a circle, examining each way. "I _think_ we came from that way," Draco pointed behind Ginny but then shook his head. "No, that's not right. Maybe…" he said, turning in a circle again.

"Malfoy," Ginny said, but Draco was ignoring her. "Malfoy," she repeated, but he couldn't hear her. "Malfoy!" she shouted at last.

Draco stopped mumbling to himself and turned to face her. "What?"

"We can just apparate," Ginny said simply.

"You can apparate?" he asked, a little impressed.

"Yeah," she answered shortly but then moved on to the bigger question, "But where to?"

They both stood there, thinking to themselves. They couldn't go back to Ginny's house…that'd just be pure stupidity. And they couldn't go anywhere public because Draco was wanted by the Ministry. The only possibility Ginny could come up with was…

"Maybe we could go to my home?" Draco suggested. He'd gone through some options in his mind, and all he could come up with was to go back to Malfoy Manor.

"Exactly what I was thinking," Ginny agreed, nodding her head.

"But it might not be safe," Draco cut in. He had been pretty sure that Voldemort had thought he was dead, but the two intruders tonight made him think otherwise. They were probably Death Eaters coming to look for him, or they were just out to destroy peoples' lives.

"I know," Ginny agreed, "But it's the only place we can go."

Draco sighed. He didn't want to go there. In the first place, he hated the manor. It reminded him of his messed up childhood, and of the loneliness that had possessed him through his youth. Secondly, the most obvious reason, it might be dangerous to go there. And thirdly, his mother would be there, if she hadn't been killed or sent to Azkaban yet, and she wouldn't be happy when he'd drag a Weasley into their perfect home. Draco stopped. There was a tiny thought tugging at the edges of his mind. It was something important. He focused, but it wasn't doing any good. The thought, memory, whatever it was, had slipped away.

"Alright, then," Ginny said as Draco came out of whatever trance-thing he'd been in, "Let's get going."

She stood, ready to disapparate, but Draco didn't move. He coughed slightly, so Ginny turned to look at him.

"Now what?" she asked, exasperated.

"As I remember," he retorted to her impatience, "A little miss I-Like-To-Go-Around-And-Mess-With-Peoples'-Powers has bound my magic." Ginny gave him a dirty look, but took out her wand all the same. She breathed in slowly, trying to rid herself of the anger Draco had just given her. Ginny concentrated, and it all came flooding back at Draco. He staggered as his magic pounded against his body and mind. Draco fell over backwards, having not been ready for the assault that had come from his own magic.

"Happy now?" Ginny asked pointedly.

"Why yes," he answered back, "Yes, I am."

Draco got up slowly; the incident had left him breathless. Once he was standing erect, he cringed. His whole body ached incredibly. It felt like his limbs had been pulled and twisted into all different directions.

"Hurt, didn't it?" Ginny asked tenderly.

Draco looked at her evenly, but then answered truthfully, "Like hell."

"Good," she retorted, making a face at him.

He rolled his eyes. That's what he got for being honest to a woman. _No_, Draco thought quickly, _a girl__—a__ stupid, insignificant, and useless girl_.

"Let's just go already," he said, shaking the awkward thoughts from his head.

"Whatever," Ginny stated, "So where are we going?"

Draco looked at her. _She can't be serious, can she_? "You're joking right? We're going to my manor. Haven't we discussed this, or did I just make the last five minutes up in my head?"

"I know _where_ we're going," Ginny said as she rolled her eyes, "But I still need to know _where_ it is. I need to vision it, to know my destination. I need a town, or address, or a vivid picture…_something_."

Draco sighed; this was taking way too long.

"Why, Ginny," he said huskily, stepping close to her. Ginny flinched, her breath getting caught at the back of her throat. "Has anyone ever told you how incredibly beautiful you are?" he asked, gazing deeply into her eyes. Draco brought his hands to her shoulders, moving them slowly down her arms.

"M-Malfoy? What are you d-doing?" Ginny stammered as his fingers sent goose bumps through her body. He grabbed her hand softly, and placed it at his forearm. He kept his hand over hers, making sure she wouldn't let go. Then Draco turned on the spot, envisioning the manor and knowing where he was going.

The air pressed in around them, constricting their lungs and making it difficult to breathe. Ginny gasped for breath, holding on tightly to Draco's arm. Within seconds, the suffocating feeling was gone. Both Ginny and Draco went sprawling to the ground as they reached their destination. Ginny sat up angrily and glared at Draco.

"You know," she said evilly, "You could've just told me that you were going to side-along apparate me. You didn't have to go through that whole charade," Ginny finished with a glare.

Draco smirked. "Yeah, I could have, but messing with you was _way_ too appealing at the moment."

He got up gracefully and made his way to the manor. Ginny got up too, glaring daggers at his back, but she followed him nonetheless. They approached the magnificent mansion quickly, and Ginny couldn't help but look at it in awe. The Malfoy Manor was nothing less than magnificent. The house, if you could actually call it a house, was at least three stories tall and five acres in size. It sat proudly on a slight hill, towering over the even larger plot of land.

Ginny was so busy admiring the house that she bumped into a stationary Draco. He smirked at her, having watched while she looked at his home in awe. Ginny glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, we're here," she said evenly, "Now what?"

"Err…" Draco said hesitantly. "Wait here a moment," he ordered as he opened the front doors and rushed in. Ginny sighed dramatically, reluctant to wait for Malfoy. _What is he doing anyway?_ She thought.

Five minutes. Ten minutes. _What on earth is ferret-boy doing?_ Ginny thought angrily. She giggled slightly though, recalling when the Mad Eye Moody imposter transfigured Malfoy into a ferret. She hadn't been there, but she would've given anything to have seen it. Ginny glanced at the door as it opened slowly. Draco stood there, looking puzzled and alarmed at the same time.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked automatically. She didn't like the look on Draco's face.

"Nothing," he muttered as he opened the door farther. He walked back into his house, not saying anything else. Ginny watched him, assuming he meant for her to follow. She stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind her. As she turned around, she stared in awe at the inside of the mansion. It was even more magnificent, if that was even possible, than the outside. Then she turned frantically, looking around for Draco.

"Over here," he called lazily from the other room. Ginny followed his voice as she walked into an enormous library. The walls were covered in shelves and they were all lined with a different assortment of books. _Hermione would love it here_, Ginny thought as she gazed at all the books. Draco was sprawled across a black-leathered love seat. He had his hands over his eyes, and his forehead was all scrunched up, a classic sign that something was wrong with him.

"What's wrong?" Ginny questioned again, and this time Draco didn't deny that he was worried.

"My mother's not here," he stated simply.

Ginny looked at him. He was worried about his mother?

"Well, I'm sure she's alright," she tried to comfort him, but wasn't really sure how. She'd never seen Draco actually upset for another human being before. It was weird, and it was kind of freaking her out.

"You don't get it," he snapped savagely. Instead of snapping back, Ginny walked over to him and knelt down next to Draco. He turned away from her, refusing to look at the red head.

"What don't I get?" Ginny asked him tenderly, but Draco didn't answer. He kept his back to her. "What don't I get?" she asked again. He didn't answer, and she realized that there was _definitely_ something she was missing. "Draco?" she asked, purposely using his first name. Nothing. Ginny sighed as she made to get up and leave.

"I don't know where she is," Draco said, his back still facing her.

"Well," Ginny offered, "maybe she's just out for today."

"She doesn't go 'out'," he replied evenly.

Ginny sighed, "Err," she tried again, "Maybe she's here. I mean, the mansion _is_ incredibly huge. She could be sleeping or something and didn't hear when we came in."

"Something's happened to her," Draco said, turning around to face Ginny. "She not out somewhere, and she's not lounging around here. Something is wrong."

"Oh," was all Ginny managed to say. He was really upset, and she had _no_ idea how to deal with him. She could handle Draco when he was annoying or full of himself and even when he was angry. But when he was genuinely sad…Ginny was clueless how to act.

"I'm sure she's going to be alright," Ginny added.

"You don't get it!" Draco shouted, standing up and pacing across the room. "She's all I have, Ginny! My prick of a father is in Azkaban, and I couldn't care less! But if my mother got sent there, or if something worse happened to her, I don't think I could stand it!"

Ginny watched as Draco leaned against the wall then slid down to the floor. He brought his legs up to his chest and dropped his head in his hands. After a moment's hesitation, Ginny walked over to Draco and slid down next to him. She wrapped her arm around Draco, as if they were friends, and pulled him in close.

"She's the only one who has every really loved me," he murmured after several minutes, still not looking up at Ginny.

"And she won't be the last," Ginny stated. She opened her mouth again to comfort him, but the words wouldn't form. Instead, she just moved closer to Draco, laying her head on his shoulder. They stayed that way for a while, neither moving nor speaking. Both were lost in their own thoughts.

"Oh no," Ginny said, breaking their silence. She stood up quickly, her mind racing.

"What?"

"What about _my_ parents?" she said quickly. "They're going to go back to my house and discover that the place has been trashed. Or worse, those two men could still be there, waiting for them."

"Well, what do we do?" he questioned her.

"Actually," Ginny answered hesitantly, a plan already formed in her mind, "I need to do this alone. I'll have to go to the Ministry and find my parents before they go home."

Draco got up and stood next to Ginny. He didn't like that he was being forced to stay back, but he knew he couldn't just waltz into the Ministry. But also…he was kind of worried about her.

"It could be dangerous," Draco warned her as they walked to the front door.

"I'll apparate straight there and straight back. It'll be okay. I'll be back before you know it," she whispered.

And before either of them knew what was going on, they were wrapped in each other's arms in a tight embrace. Neither of them knew who moved first, but they both welcomed the notion as if it were normal. Stepping away awkwardly, Draco opened the door for Ginny. She stepped out into the bright sunlight, and walked briskly to the end of the property. Most homes nowadays had protection spells that did not allow apparation or disapparation within the property, and the Malfoy Manor was no exception.

Ginny got to the property line, and turned on the spot, imagining the Ministry building clearly in her mind. Within moments, Ginny was in one of the apparation stations set up inside the Ministry.

Ginny rushed to the elevators, ignoring the man who had greeted her. She only prayed that one of her parents was there. Many adult wizards had given up their normal jobs to help the Ministry the best they could, her mother included. Ginny shook nervously as the elevator took her to father's floor. As soon as the doors opened, she bolted out, heading straight for her father's office.

She had been to her father's new office only once before, but she remembered the way easily. Turning the corner, Ginny sprinted down the hallway and into the office at the end of the row.

"Dad?" she called out breathlessly as soon as she entered. No answer. The room was empty. Ginny collapsed in the chair in exhaustion. _What the hell am I going to do now?_ Her mind was racing, and she was so lost in thought that she didn't notice a man enter the room.

"Ginny, dear?" the man asked, waking Ginny from her thoughts.

"Dad!" she shouted in excitement, jumping up from the desk. Ginny couldn't remember a time when she'd been so happy to see her father. She hugged the red headed man tightly, not letting go until he pried his daughter away from him.

"Ginny, what's going on?" he asked quickly. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she said quickly, "Well, no." He looked at her questioningly.

"I only have a couple minutes," he replied hurriedly. "Tell me what's going on."

Ginny then explained what had happened when she had returned from St. Mungo's. She told her dad about the two men, who may or may not have been Death Eaters, but who were obviously not friends. Ginny assured her father she was all right, and that she had escaped unscathed. She left out Draco entirely. Her father was understanding, but not _that_ understanding.

"But you're alright?" her father asked again.

"I'm fine, Dad," she assured him.

"Where are you going to stay now?" he asked with concern. _Uh oh_, Ginny thought. What was she going to say now?

"Err…" she hesitated, "I can stay with…Luna Lovegood. She's a friend from school, and she'd be more than willing to let me stay for a while." Ginny watched her father as he considered the option. He looked at his daughter and couldn't help but smile. She stood tall and defiant despite her short stature. Her eyes held a spark that spoke of determination and willpower.

"Alright," he agreed after a moment. "You may stay at Luna's, but I want you to apparate here every week or so. It's been even more hectic and chaotic here than ever. I'm never given a moment's rest! I'll speak with your mother. If you can't find me when you drop in, then check your mother's floor. She's working on Floor 5. When you get out of one of the elevators, she'll be working in the office all the way on the left."

Ginny nodded, "I can remember that." She hugged her father tightly one more time, hoping it wouldn't be last.

"Get home safely, my dear," he said warmly, letting her go. Ginny smiled, and then walked out the door. Mr. Weasley watched her go sadly, but not with much worry. Whatever happened to Ginny, he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

Ginny departed from the Ministry and arrived in front of the Malfoy Manor only seconds later. She smiled to herself when she saw a bottom level curtain fly back into position, as if someone had just been looking out of it.

"Hello?" she called, stepping into the enormous mansion.

"Hey," Draco answered lazily. Ginny followed his voice into the library. He was sprawled across the same love seat, trying very hard to appear nonchalant. "So, what happened?" he asked in an offhand voice.

"Well, I found my father and explained that our house was broken into and that it wasn't safe. I told him I was alright and that I was staying with a friend," she finished.

Draco sat straight up, "You told him you were staying with me?"

She shook her head, "No, I said I was staying with a friend. When he asked who, I told him Luna Lovegood."

"Oh," was all Draco managed to get out. _Does that mean that she is actually going to that Lovegood girl's house?_

Ginny sat down in one of the comfy armchairs, and they sat in an awkward silence. Both of them were avoiding the issue at hand. Realistically, it shouldn't have been an issue in the first place. Ginny would go to Luna's house, no questions asked, and Draco would be glad to see the back of her. But now…well, now there was something there, something between the both of them. Whether it was a mere bond of friendship that had formed or more than that, they were both aware of the change.

"So," Draco decided to speak up, "Are you going to stay there?" The question hung in the air as thoughts flew through both of their heads. Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. What was she supposed to say anyway? If she said she was going to go to Luna's, he might find it insulting and forever hate her. But if she said she was just going to stay at the manor, it was not only her inviting herself over, but it would also be awkward.

"You can stay here," he murmured, speaking so Ginny wouldn't have to. "That is, if you wanted to."

Ginny grinned. _He's so cute when he's embarrassed_, she thought. _Wait…what? What are you thinking Ginny?_ She shook her head vigorously, trying to get rid of her crazy thoughts. She saw Draco's face fall. He had thought she was saying no to his proposal.

"Wait!" she said quickly, "I would love to stay here…if you don't mind." Draco's face lit up, and another awkward silence filled the room.

"Well," Draco said, looking out the window. "It's getting late."

And it was late. From the time Ginny had gotten back from the Ministry, the sun had gone from high above them to receding over the treetops. _Wow_, Ginny thought,_ today went by really fast_.

"Err…" Ginny began, hoping she wasn't going to sound rude, "Do you happen to have anything to eat?"

"Oh, right," Draco answered quickly, "You must be hungry."

Ginny nodded, and he led the way deeper into the house. Taking a couple of turns, they wound up in a brilliant dining hall. There was an enormously long table that could probably seat just around a hundred people. Each chair looked as if it had been hand crafted; the wood was sleek and elegant. When Ginny looked back at Draco, he was smiling.

"What?" she asked cautiously.

"Nothing," he answered quickly, the smile disappearing as soon as it had appeared. "Alright, now all you have to do is hang tight. I'm going to go whip us up something."

Ginny cringed involuntarily. "Are you sure? You know I don't mind cooking. I really don't. I could make us something to eat pretty quickly, and I don't mind at all."

"Don't worry," Draco said, shaking his head and grinning, "I've got it covered. Do you have any requests?"

She shook her head slowly, regretting her request for food. With that, Draco strolled to the door.

"Wait!" Ginny called out. Draco stopped, halfway out the door. "I do have a request!"

"And it is?"

"Something _edible_, please!" she said delicately. He frowned at her, but the frown changed to a grin within moments.

"Whatever the lady wishes," Draco answered. He bowed and backed out of the room. Ginny watched him leave, her eyebrows raised in wonder. When had Draco's attitude towards her changed? Ginny thought back to the last couple of days, realizing that it hadn't happened in one single day or moment. His attitude had slowly been changing over the time they spent together. But what scared Ginny the most was when she realized that _her_ attitude towards _him_ had changed just as much.

She didn't cringe or make a face when she saw him. Instead, a light fluttery feeling erupted in her stomach. Ginny frowned at this recognition. The last time she'd had that feeling was when she'd been with Harry. _It's nothing_, she assured herself. _I'm just happy to have someone to talk to, a friend_. That much was true. She was happy to have someone about her age to talk to and to just be around. She hadn't seen her friends or even her brothers all summer; it had been horrid.

_Harry_, she thought dreamily. Oh, how she missed him. She missed the way he couldn't keep his eyes off her. When they were with a bunch of people, he was only looking at her. When Ginny would realize that he was staring at her, she'd turn away and blush, loving the feeling her gave her. She missed the way Harry would gaze deeply into her eyes and tell her how beautiful and wonderful and amazing she was. Sadness crept over Ginny as she thought and remembered the hours she had spent with Harry. The time they were together was so short; she'd give anything to be back in his arms one more time.

"Are you ready?" Draco asked, peeking his head through the door.

Ginny's stomach did a flip as she remembered the food situation. "As ready as I'll ever be," she answered.

"Close your eyes then," he ordered.

Ginny did so. A smell hammered down on her, and she cringed. _Wait a minute_, she thought to herself, _t__hat smells good!_

"Okay," Draco whispered into her ear. Ginny shivered at the nearness. "Open your eyes!"

What met Ginny's eyes was a total and utter surprise. There was no decaying or pulsating food, like the sandwich he'd created earlier, only marvelous and steaming masterpieces. Her eyes widened, taking in the whole scene: there were trays upon trays of food. For a moment, Ginny felt as if she were back at Hogwarts, sitting at the long house table and eating her fill on so many delectable foods.

"Wow," was all Ginny managed to get out.

"Amazing, aren't I?" Draco asked cockily.

"B-but…" Ginny stammered.

"Didn't think I was a good cook, did you?" he asked, a smug grin on his face.

She couldn't answer. All she did was shake her head in response, gazing over all the food she'd soon ingest.

"How?" she questioned him.

"Oh," Draco answered airily, "We amazing chefs have our ways."

"Uh, huh," Ginny responded sarcastically. "Wait a second," she said as she noticed what Draco was twirling, "Where'd you get a wand from?"

Draco smiled smugly, "Oh, I just had it lying around."

She rolled her eyes at his explanation and pulled a couple of trays nearer to her plate.

"No really," he continued, "This is my original wand. When I was younger, I didn't like it, so my parents allowed me to get a new one."

"Spoiled!" Ginny coughed under her breath.

"What was that?" Draco asked her playfully.

"Oh, nothing."

"Yes, well it better have been nothing, or else I would've had to take all this delicious food away," he said simply. Ginny eyed him wearily and began to eat. She hadn't realized how hungry she had been! Draco sat down in the chair next to her and began to eat as well. Both of them were starving, so the meal went by quickly as they downed dish after dish. They ate in silence, though it wasn't awkward or strained.

"Man, am I tired!" Ginny exclaimed after she had finished eating. She leaned back in her chair lazily, her eyelids feeling heavy.

"You ready for bed?" Draco asked her as he got up from his chair. He was glad she had said something because he was equally tired. It had been a long day, and he was awaiting his nice and cozy bed.

Ginny nodded eagerly and followed Draco out of the dining hall. He led her up a marvelous spiraling staircase and down the hall to the right.

"This," he said, pointing to a set of doors at the end of the hall, "Is my bedroom. If you have any problems or need anything later tonight, then you know where to find me."

Ginny nodded and then followed him back down the hall a bit to the next door.

"You can stay in this guest room," he said, standing next to the door.

"Okay," Ginny said, and that weird silence fell over them again. She would've given anything to have that hate relationship they once shared…now it was just strange and abnormal. They looked uncomfortably at their feet, neither of them knowing quite what to say.

"Goodnight, then," Draco said quietly. He turned around and started walking back to his room.

"Malfoy?" she called out after him, and Draco turned around. Ginny hesitated. What was she going to say anyway?

"Yeah?"

"Err," she stammered, "…thanks…for everything."

He didn't say anything, just nodded and started walking back to his room. Ginny opened her own door, stepping into one of the most marvelous guest bedrooms she'd ever seen. But Ginny was too tired from the long day and anxious from the situation with Draco to admire the décor. She stumbled to the enormous bed and flopped right down, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows.

**

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**A/N: **I'm done!! I'm soooooooooo very sorry I didn't finish earlier! Forgive me? It's been a VERY long week at my house. I'd explain, but it's too long of a story. Well, I'm still not sure how my imagination is doing. I had to write and rewrite most of this chapter, so tell me what you think!

Read and **review** por favor!

**Thanks: **QueenBee11, I'm Blond. James Blond., Flipinpenname, ailiramlove, gh0ulish, and missMANNEQUINx! I love you all!


	6. A Devastating Blow

Chapter 6: A Devastating Blow

* * *

Ginny's sleep was quiet and peaceful. She dreamt no dreams, thought no thoughts, just let the ease and comfort of nothingness wash over her. She had no idea how long she'd been sleeping, but out of nowhere, a shout interrupted her lack of thought. Ginny rolled over, forgetting the noise as quickly as it had come. She settled back into the bliss of sleep until another shout, a louder one, came crashing through her world. This time Ginny couldn't forget the cry. It had shaken her all the way to her core, making goose bumps rise on her skin.

Pulling herself from sleep, Ginny's conscious mind woke her up. She scanned the room, wondering what shout had taken her from sleep. Straining her ears, Ginny listened with all her might...nothing.

"No!"

The shout came crashing in around Ginny, and she flew out of bed, heading in the direction of Draco's room. As soon as the sound of distress entered her ears, she knew it was him. Ginny yanked the doors open and found Draco tossing and turning on his bed.

"Malfoy!" she shouted loudly, and he woke up with a start. Sitting up abruptly, he tried to disentangle himself from the sheets and blankets. He froze, closing his eyes tightly. Ginny knew he was trying to remember his dream…his nightmare.

"Anything?" Ginny asked quietly. Draco opened his eyes and shook his head.

"Nothing," he answered softly.

Draco flopped back down on his bed. Ginny watched him carefully, not knowing how to react. These last couple of days she'd begun to think that there was much more to Draco than he let on. He pretended to be this cold and unconcerned robot; when really, he was normal. He had emotions and feelings just like everyone else, even if he pretended he didn't. It was a shock to Ginny, but she was trying hard to get used to the many layers of Draco Malfoy.

"You'll remember sometime," Ginny offered, sitting delicately on the edge of his bed. Draco eyed her cautiously as she scooted a bit closer to him. Ginny placed her hand over his in hopes of calming him down; it worked.

"It's something important," said Draco, breathing deeply in and out. "I just know it."

They stayed there like that for a time: Draco lying down, concentrating on his fleeting nightmares, and Ginny sitting beside him, holding his hand and comforting him with silence.

When the first rays of sun peeked over the treetops, they were both pulled out of the silence.

"Err, well," Ginny stammered somewhat awkwardly. What was there to say, really?

"I need to change," Draco said simply. Ginny got the hint and left the room without another word. She walked down the hall, returning to her own room. In the first moments of light, the guest room she was staying in looked even more amazing than ever. This room was decorated in shades of blue with white accents. The dark blue walls were adorned with all sorts of masterpieces, and a fuzzy, white rug was spread over the wooden floor. Ginny strolled over to the great windows, pushing aside the billowy, white curtains. She opened the windows carefully and stepped out onto a small balcony.

Ginny gasped at the sight before her. The huge property of the Malfoy's spread out grandly in front of her, taking her breath away. Her eyes widened, trying to take in the majesty of it all. Across the acres there were many exotic plants and trees, beautiful and grand water fountains, and, to top it all off, an enormous maze. She was vaguely reminded of the maze in the Triwizard Tournament that had led to Cedric Diggory's death. Ginny shuddered, the memory of a dead, lifeless Cedric flashing across her mind.

She turned her attention away from the maze to the rest of the grounds.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice drawled from behind her. Ginny turned around slowly. Draco stood in the doorway of her room, the light shining out around him making him look god-like.

She froze, her voice leaving her. Draco Malfoy, she could honestly say, looked amazing. He was wearing some blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt that showed his well-toned muscles. His eyes glinted, and Ginny noticed that his hair was tousled and wet. _He must have showered_, she thought, and the image of Draco showering tried to push its way into her mind. She squeezed her eyes closed-tight, ridding herself of the image of a naked and dripping wet Draco.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," Ginny managed to say at last, "I'm fine."

"Okay."

They stood there awkwardly, both of them trying hard to think of something to say. _When did being around Draco become so awkward_? She thought, then froze. She'd called him 'Draco'.

"Err," Ginny began, a thought coming to her mind, "Actually, I don't really have anything to wear." She looked down at her robes. She'd been wearing them for more than 24 hours. They were grungy and wrinkled, and they made Ginny's skin crawl. Can you say gross?

"Come with me," Draco said with a grin. He turned out of the room, and she followed him down the hallway. He turned here and there, going up a flight of stairs. He paused outside a random door and froze. Ginny stood next to him, looking at the closed door and then at Draco.

"Is this where we're going?" She asked him. Draco shook his head, putting his hand on the door.

"No," he answered about to push the door open.

"Then why are we here?" Ginny asked a little pointedly. All she wanted were some clean clothes and a nice long shower. Was that so much for a girl to ask for?

"I don't know," he said, not bothered by Ginny's impatience. His hand was still on the door, but he pulled away. "There's something about this room," he told her. "I don't know what it is…"

Ginny rolled her eyes. What was with him? She began tapping her foot furiously, and Draco got the point.

"A little impatient, are we?" he asked with a grin, leading them forward once again and leaving the random room behind.

Ginny followed him to a grand pair of doors at the end of the hall. This, she assumed, was the biggest bedroom in the whole mansion, belonging to none other than Lucius and Narcissa. Draco opened the doors and stepped into the magnificent bedroom. Ginny stopped to take in the amazing room, but Draco tugged at her arm, pulling her deeper into his parent's room.

He pulled her through another door, making Ginny stop in her tracks for what seemed like the millionth time in the past couple of hours. This time, Draco let Ginny look in wonder. He had taken her into his mother's personal closet, which, he admitted, was quite extraordinary. The room was enormous. The walls were lined with clothes in any color ever imaginable. In the center of the room, a rectangular dresser was placed. Ginny walked up to the dresser and pulled open one of the drawers. Her breath caught again, as she saw the sparkling jewelry that had been placed gently in the drawer. She looked at the rest of the dresser and opened drawer after drawer, stopping in awe every so often when she came across something that took her breath away.

Spinning around, Ginny saw Draco grinning at her.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked her.

"This is amazing!" Ginny breathed, turning to look at the room once again. She stroked the precious gems longingly.

"Okay, okay, enough with the jewelry. You only need some clothes for now. So, just pick out a couple of things you like," Draco told her lazily. What was it with girls and jewelry?

Ginny threw him a look but began to look around the closet, which, she had realized, was bigger than her room at the Burrow. Within a couples minutes Ginny had a couple items that she liked. She held up one of the robes to her body and frowned.

"This will never fit me though," she told Draco.

"Not to worry," he replied, twirling his wand effortlessly. "We can trim and shorten it here and there."

Ginny nodded, strolling over the full-length mirror. She smiled to herself, imagining what the robe would look like on her. She tore her eyes away from the mirror as Draco pulled her back out of the room. They made their way back to Ginny's room; Draco paused at the same door on the way back, but Ginny yanked him forward.

"I'll only be a bit," she told him, rushing into her room. Boy, she was looking forward to that cleansing shower. After she was done showering, Ginny hurried to get one of the outfits she'd chosen. She searched through the clothes, trying to decide what to wear. She had picked several wizards' robes, a nightgown, and some muggle-ish outfits as well, finally deciding on a pair of low rise, skinny blue jeans and a strappy white tank top. The jeans were a little long on her, but the waist size was practically perfect. She whipped out her wand and shortened them easily. The tank top fit her well enough, though she imagined that she didn't fill it out quite as nicely as Narcissa did.

She held her wand to her hair, drying it into perfect curls in mere seconds. Ginny sighed. _Oh, how good it feels to be clean_.

Ginny exited her room, in search of a certain blonde. She walked to his room and knocked a couple of times.

"Come in," his voice drawled from the inside. Ginny followed his instruction and entered Draco's room. He was lying down on his bed, eyes shut in concentration.

"Whatcha doin?" she asked casually.

Draco felt her sit on the bed, but didn't open his eyes when he responded.

"Trying to remember."

"The nightmare?" Ginny asked tenderly. She saw him nod his head and got the signal that he wanted her to be quiet. She got up from the bed and strolled about the room a bit, examining the fine oak furniture and black, satin linens.

Draco peeped an eye open as he felt her weight leave the bed. He'd given up trying to remember his nightmare, even though he knew it was important, but he couldn't remember it for the life of him. A woman crying echoed in his ears, and sometimes, a bright, green flash would erupt in front of his eyes, but he didn't know what any of it meant. He should've shrugged off the nightmare as nothing more than his imagination, but he could feel that it was something more than that.

A shiver went through Draco's body at the sight of Ginny. Her back was to him, so he took his time examining her body. The jeans she was wearing wrapped tightly around her legs and waist. The spaghetti strapped tank fit equally as tight around her top, showing off every curve. Draco remembered his mother wearing an outfit like that, but Ginny did it justice. Her long, curly red hair flowed gracefully about her, even when she moved ever so slightly. Draco could feel his heart beat faster as he took in Ginny's body one more time.

_Who knew all of _that, Draco thought, _was always hidden under bulky robes?_ He stopped himself. What on earth had he just been thinking? _It's just Weasley_, he had to remind himself, j_ust Weasley._

"Enjoying the view, are we?" she asked flirtatiously. She'd been examining the magnificent mirror above Draco's dresser when she noticed that he was staring at her. A quiver of delight had gone done her spine as she watched his eyes rove over her body.

"Err – " Draco fumbled. _Great_, he thought; she'd seen him looking. Ginny smirked and rolled her eyes at his loss of words.

"I'm _that_ good looking that I leave you speechless?" she asked boldly, a line that Draco, himself, would normally say. _What are you doing, Gin?_ She asked herself. Was she – dare she think it – _flirting_ with him?

Draco raised his eyebrows at her, the same question coming to his mind. _Is she flirting with me?_ He thought oddly.

"What if I said you were?" he asked her softly, stepping forward to the challenge. Ginny froze; she hadn't been expecting that answer. She saw him smirk, knowing he'd won…whatever sort of Battle of the Words they'd just had.

Draco just shook his head, "Come on, Weasley. Let's go get something to eat."

Ginny nodded in agreement and left the room first. She managed to make her way down to the dining hall without making a wrong turn.

"Wait here," Draco told her. "I'll have something out right away."

"No, really – " Ginny began to argue, but Draco held up a hand in response. He vanished through a pair of swinging doors at the other side of the dining room. Ginny sat wearily in the chair she'd occupied the night before. She was the guest, after all, but she didn't want to feel like a burden to anyone, even to Draco.

Draco made breakfast quickly. He knew Ginny felt guilty, but he didn't mind…which was very odd. Whenever his parents had asked him to do something – which hardly _ever_ happened – he'd whine and complain until they said he didn't have to. Now, he was willing and _wanting_ to make some stupid Weasley breakfast. He should tell her to make her own dumb food, allowing her to starve before he'd _ever_ do something for her.

He sighed dramatically as the eggs magically scrambled themselves. _It's not like it's a lot of work anyway_, Draco pointed out to himself. A couple flicks of his wand and breakfast was making itself. All he had to do was supervise to make sure the food didn't go crazy on its own or something.

But the truth pushed its way into his mind. The fact was that he honestly _wanted_ to do things for Ginny. For whatever reason (Draco's mind refused to wonder why), he wanted to make Ginny as happy as she could be. There was something about the way she smiled. Her face completely lit up, forcing everyone in the vicinity to feel happier as well. He'd experienced that this morning when he'd taken the red head to his mother's closet. When she grinned in excitement, Draco couldn't help but feel excited as well.

The kitchen was enveloped in silence, and Draco realized that breakfast was done making itself. He flicked his wand once more and walked out of the kitchen, allowing the food to follow behind him.

"You really didn't have to do this," Ginny began. She stood, ready to make the speech she'd been practicing, but Draco held up his hand again to silence her.

"Come on, Weasley," he said to Ginny. "You're the guest. I'm the host. That's the way things work; end of story."

Draco flicked his wand, ordering the plates of food to settle themselves neatly on the table. Ginny was about to protest, but Draco just shook his head at her.

"I've already made it," Draco said wearily, "just eat."

Ginny did as she was told but threw an annoyed look at him anyway. The food was delicious, she wouldn't deny that, and before she realized it, Ginny had eaten through four helpings of breakfast!

"Wow," she said afterward, "That was really good!"

Draco raised his eyebrows at her. "What was that?" he asked, cupping his hand to his ear. "Did Ginny Weasley just give _me_ a compliment?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, but didn't argue. _Did_ she just compliment him? Oh boy, what was going on with her?

"I should go into work today," Ginny said, out of nowhere.

Draco looked a little taken back, but masked his surprise – and was that disappointment? – quickly. Why was he disappointed that she was leaving? It wasn't even for that long of a time. She'd be coming back at the end of the day…so why was he feeling so sad?

"Can't you just, like, skip a day, or something?" he asked her in what he hoped was a casually off-hand voice. He snuck a peak at her, noticing that she was grinning at him. "What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing."

Silence followed, and Ginny hadn't answered Draco's question.

"Well," he began again, "Can't you play hooky? I mean, you go in every single day!"

Ginny sighed, "Yes, well, I try to anyway." She looked at him sadly. "The thing is," Ginny explained, "Is that every single day there are more and more people coming in who are hurt, dying, or cursed. And every single day it's my job to heal them. It's tough and slightly depressing, but I feel the need to do my part. This is what I can do to help in this stupid war. It may not seem like much to me every single day, but on some days, I do happen to save a couple peoples' lives…"

She turned to Draco, a smile lighting up her face.

"Do you have _any_ idea how that feels?" She asked dramatically, looking away again. "To save someone's life? It's the most amazing feeling ever! One minute, there's a lifeless and cold body in front of you, and the next, the person is breathing and living. You've saved their life!"

Ginny looked down embarrassingly.

"I don't know how else to explain it," she finished lamely.

Draco put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," he told her. "I get it."

Ginny smiled slightly. She stood from the table and walked to the front door, Draco following slowly behind.

"Well, as always," he told her, "stay safe."

He gave a small grin, and Ginny smiled, a warm sensation hitting her dead on. She turned around and stepped into the beautiful morning. Ginny walked to the edge of the property feeling Draco's eyes watching her go. She spun around and disapparated to St. Mungo's.

The day passed uneventfully for Ginny. She was rushed from room to room, not giving her a chance to stop and breathe. Ginny managed to save every single person that had been rushed to her care. It had been a very long, but very good day.

You couldn't say the same thing for Draco. He spent the whole day cooped up at the manor, moping around. Draco Malfoy wasn't the type of person to be pent-up for long periods of time without something to do. He would start to pace after only moments of silence, and he couldn't stand to sit still.

He tried to think about his nightmare. As the minutes passed, he realized that there was something _very _important about what his subconscious mind was telling him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

But the worst thing, even more annoying than his nightmare, were the thoughts of Ginny that kept ruining his train of thought. Images of Ginny smiling and laughing barged their way into his mind, not allowing anything else to take their place.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ Draco thought angrily. What on earth was going on? He'd been with her for about a week, and he already couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Ugh!" Draco groaned aloud. He knew it would be a very, _very_ long day.

Ginny disapparated from St. Mungo's looking forward to seeing Draco. Wait…what did she just think? _Looking forward to seeing Draco?_ She questioned herself. _Ginny, what the hell are you thinking?_ She'd been with him for about a week, and she already couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Ugh!" Ginny groaned aloud, taking in the sight of the manor. She walked slowly to the door, trying to avoid the inevitable: facing Malfoy.

"Hey!" Draco said brightly the moment she entered the mansion. Ginny eyed him suspiciously. Since when had he ever been happy to see _her_?

"Hello," she answered dully.

"Did you have a good day at work?" he asked her just as cheerfully, knowing he sounded like some suit and tie husband asking his wife how her day was. Ginny was thinking along the same lines.

"It was fine," Ginny answered shortly. "Look, I'm _really_ tired," she told Draco. "I just want to get to bed as soon as possible."

Draco's face fell slightly, but he recovered quickly.

"Yeah, alright," he said. They stood there awkwardly, so Ginny spoke up.

"Okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

She left Draco standing by the door and made her way to her temporary room. Draco, instead of being upset at Ginny's rude brush-off, smiled to himself. 'I'll see you tomorrow', she had said to him. Draco walked up to his own room, imagining the days to come, just waking up and seeing Ginny's happy face in the morning.

He changed quickly and hopped in his bed, welcoming the coolness of sleep.

The clock struck midnight, and Draco rolled over in his sleep. He fidgeted and twitched, tangling himself in his sheets. His face went pale, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Inside his mind, it was even worse.

Draco was walking the own halls of his home, following the quiet whimpering that dangled at his ears. He turned 'round corners, went up and down stairs, the sound always moving away from him. Finally, the sobbing got louder. Strangled cries met his ears, and he picked up his pace. Draco approached a plain door, and grabbed the knob quickly.

He scanned the room and noticed a huddled form in the corner. Draco made his way forward, realizing who the person was.

"Mother?" he asked softly, reaching out a hand to her. The blonde woman didn't hear or notice a thing. She was quivering slightly as she picked up her head. Draco saw his mother's cheeks stained with tears, her eyes bloodshot and puffy.

"I'm sorry to tell you," a cruel voice announced, filling the room with Draco and his mother, "But your son has died. He betrayed me and was killed as he tried to escape."

"Noooo!" the woman shouted miserably, denying what the voice had told her.

"It's true," the cold voice replied.

Narcissa wailed again, and Draco tried to comfort her, but she didn't notice. The voice was gone, leaving Narcissa Malfoy crying in the corner. She picked up her wand slowly.

"Draco," she stammered, bringing her wand to her temple.

"Mother!" Draco answered, but she couldn't hear him. Narcissa gulped loudly, her crying subdued. "Mother, what are you doing?" Draco cried, eyeing her wand wearily.

"I love you, Draco," the woman whispered sadly. A small smile dangled on her thin lips. "I'll be with you soon."

"No!" Draco shouted, but he could only watch helplessly. Narcissa Malfoy closed her eyes, and a flash of green light flooded the room. "Mother, no!" Draco cried again, but it was too late. The crumpled form of his mother lay lifeless and still on the floor.

Draco wrapped his arms around his mother's body, feeling the warmth leave her slowly. He cried, the tears falling freely and heavily down his cheeks.

"Draco?" a voice asked softly. He picked up his head, listening to the soothing voice. "Draco, are you alright?"

"Mother?" he called out to the air. "Mother, is that you?"

"Draco, it's Ginny."

"Ginny?" he asked, confused. What happened to his mother? He looked down at his arms: they were empty. The room shimmered slightly and then faded away. As he opened his eyes, he saw a shadowy form standing over him. Red curls tickled his face, and he realized it was Ginny.

"Draco?" she asked.

"I'm awake," he answered slowly, knowing he'd been asleep.

"Draco," she said worriedly, "You've been having nightmares every single night for the past couple of days. I think something might be wrong."

Draco heard her words but only for a moment. He was very distracted, noticing the thin nightgown she was wearing. The sheer white fabric came low at her neck and hugged her form ever so slightly.

"Draco!" she shouted, noticing that he was ogling her.

"Huh?" he asked in a dreamlike sort of voice.

"You need to remember!" she ordered him, and Draco closed his eyes, though regretfully as the image of Ginny's body faded. They sat there a couple of minutes, but Draco didn't seem to be getting anywhere.

"Nope," he said wearily, "nothing."

"Hmm…" Ginny contemplated, "Well, you were calling out 'Mother'…" she stopped. "Actually, now that I think about it, you called out 'Mother' before too."

"Mother?" Draco said thoughtfully. "But why on earth would I…" he stopped, his face going deathly pale.

"Draco?" Ginny whispered, chills running down her back as she took in his stark-white appearance.

"Oh, no."

Draco threw off the covers and ran out the door. Ginny called after him, but he couldn't hear her or was too determined to pay any attention to anything else. All Ginny could do was follow him wherever he was going. She finally caught up to him; he was standing outside the same door they'd stopped at earlier that day.

Without a word, Draco pushed open the door. He took a deep breath and stepped inside. Ginny watched him walk in, hesitating before she followed. She waited several moments before entering.

The sight that met her eyes made her freeze, and the growing stench stung her nose.

"Oh, Draco," was all she managed to say. She looked at him sadly. He was crouched in the far corner of the room, a lifeless body in his arms: his mother's body.

* * *

**A/N:** Read and review, my loves!


	7. Disaster

Chapter 7: Disaster

* * *

Ginny stood completely motionless, her eyes never leaving Draco and Narcissa. Draco held his mother while silent tears fell from his stormy silver eyes.

What was Ginny supposed to do? Her mind raced, trying to sort out everything that had happened. Should she leave Draco alone? Let him deal with the huge shock on his own?

Or should she comfort him? Hold him close as the shock of his mother's death really sank in?

Despite all the rational thoughts that were telling Ginny to turn around and leave, she walked over to Draco slowly.

"Draco?" she whispered softly. Ginny slid to the floor, scooting close to him. He stared at his mother's blank face, oblivious to Ginny. Ginny reached her hand out tentatively and put it lightly on his shoulder, but Draco shrugged it off instantly.

Tears pricked Ginny's eyes as she watched Draco cry. The past didn't seem to matter at all. Draco was just someone else who had been hurt because of the war, and Narcissa had just been another victim. It didn't matter that Ginny had hated both Draco and his mother only a month ago. It didn't matter that a month ago she had wished both of them would die a horrible and gruesome death. Because now, Draco sat before her as a weak and damaged soul—someone who had experienced terrible pain and loss, someone who was overwrought by it.

"You can heal her," Draco muttered softly, bringing Ginny away from her thoughts. He looked to Ginny, obvious hope shining from his tear-stained eyes. "Ginny, you can heal her!"

"Draco," Ginny began, shaking her head slightly. "Draco, it's too late."

"No, no, no!" he shouted at her. Ginny flinched, feeling the anger, confusion, and sadness resonating from his body, but there was really nothing she could do. When Ginny had first saw that Narcissa was dead, she had hope that her healing abilities could save the woman, but with every step she took closer to the pair, she could tell. Narcissa Malfoy was completely gone. There was nothing left in her that was fighting for life, no soul or spirit. Ginny also noticed that there was no sign of death. There weren't any cuts or bruises, no blood. Seeing the undamaged body and knowing there wasn't any trace of a soul left, Ginny suspected that Narcissa had been killed by the Killing Curse.

Of course, she could be wrong. But there were times when she was working at St. Mungo's that she came across people like Narcissa. Their bodies were intact and working, but there was no remnant of a soul. In those cases, Ginny couldn't do anything. As everyone knew, no one can survive Avada Kedavra. Well, everyone besides Harry.

"You have to!" Draco shouted at her. "W-we can even do it together! If both of us try, I-I know we can save her!"

Ginny looked on at him sadly and shook her head. "It's too late, Draco," she murmured, tears beginning to cloud her eyes.

"LIAR!" he screamed. Ginny put her hand on his shoulder again, but he shoved her away. The force of his push made Ginny sway, and she had to brace herself against the wall. Breathing deeply, she tried again.

"Shhh," she comforted him, putting her hand back on his shoulder. He pushed her away again, but a lot less violently than before. Ginny repeated the action, placing her small hand firmly on his broad shoulder. This time he left Ginny's hand where she'd placed it. Ginny took this to her advantage, wrapping her arms around Draco completely. She could feel him tense and then relax, melting into her embrace.

Ginny wrapped her arms tighter, squeezing Draco in silent comfort. They stayed like that for what could've been hours: Ginny holding Draco, and Draco holding his mother.

A quiet bang startled both Draco and Ginny. The sound had come from downstairs. Draco looked at Ginny and frowned. He glanced quickly at his still mother then lightly set her on the floor. Jumping up, Draco grabbed Ginny's hand and went to the door. They glanced down the hall, but there was nothing. Walking quietly but quickly, Draco and Ginny made their way down the hall.

"Can't you ever be quiet?" a slightly familiar voice asked. Ginny strained her ears, trying to remember where she'd heard that voice before.

"I'm always quiet," a second voice answered. "It's you who's never quiet." Ginny tried to concentrate on the voices, but she couldn't remember. She glanced to Draco whose eyes were wide in shock. As they continued to bicker, the truth hit Ginny like a speeding train.

"Doesn't matter," Lanley told Bartle. "We just have to find the girl."

Ginny's heart began to race five times faster than normal. They couldn't be talking about her…could they? What had she done? Her mind went over the last couple of days, weeks, months, and then years, but there was nothing. What could she have possibly done to these people to make them consistently follow her? And the worst thought was: who had sent these people to get her?

Draco tugged on Ginny's sleeve. The voices had quieted, and Draco was pulling her back down the hall. They raced quietly to the grand double doors at the end of the hall: his parent's room. Draco opened the door quietly, letting Ginny in, and then closed it just as quietly behind them.

"Those are the guys who broke into your house," Draco muttered to Ginny as they made their way into the master bedroom.

"I know," Ginny answered. She couldn't think of anything else to say. Her mind was still flooded with thoughts of how she was being hunted down!

"There are many secret passageways in the manor," he told her quickly, making his way back into Narcissa's closet. "We'll just use one to get out of here."

"But then where?" Ginny asked him. "They found us at my house and now at yours. Where can we go so they won't find us?" The question hung unanswered in the air. Despair was starting to creep up on Ginny, consuming what little hope she'd had left after the last couple of days.

"Right now," he said evenly, "it's anywhere but here."

He took out his wand and did a little flick. A soft rumbling met Ginny's ears as she watched the wall behind the shoe rack slide back and to the side. Draco turned and looked at her expectantly.

"Well, let's go," he prompted.

"I can't go looking like this!" Ginny indicated her sheer thin nightgown. She saw Draco look her up and down slowly. "My point exactly," she said evilly to him, and then she crossed her arms over her chest for better coverage.

"You have people hunting you down, and you're worried about what you're wearing?" he asked incredulously. _He_ was wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a loose, white shirt.

"Not _what_ I'm wearing, more the _lack_ of it."

"Fine, change quickly," Draco told her. Ginny quickly picked out jeans and a blouse. She began to undress but could still feel Draco's eyes on her.

"A little privacy?" she asked a little rudely. Draco just rolled his eyes and turned around. Ginny was done in seconds, and she raced forward through the passageway, dragging Draco along behind her.

The passageway was dark and kind of damp, and Ginny tried to hold her breath as they ran through it because the stench almost made her throw up. Luckily, they were through the tunnel in a minute and stepping out into the brightness of the morning sun.

"Moving on to the important question," Ginny said quickly, her breath becoming fast and unsteady.

"I'm listening," Draco breathed back.

"Where the hell are we going?" They raced forward to the end of the property and didn't stop when they got there.

"No idea," he answered. A bright light shot right passed Ginny's ear. Both of them looked back without stopping. Lanley and Bartle were running behind them, and from the looks of it, they were gaining.

A thought came to Ginny, and without hesitation, she stopped, grabbed Draco's arm, and turned on the spot, visualizing her destination. The air around Draco and Ginny pressed in on them, constricting their breath. In a moment, the sensation was over and both Draco and Ginny were tumbling to the ground. Ginny got up hastily, looking around to see if anyone had seen them. No. Luckily, the street was deserted, so she grabbed Draco's hand and whirled him around to face the old house in front of her.

"You can see that house, right?" Ginny asked him quickly. The sooner they could get inside – or away, if need be – the better.

"You mean the one we're standing right in front of?" he asked her incredulously. Why wouldn't he be able to see a house? It was a pretty big thing to miss.

"Yes!"

"Well, no, then. I can't see it." Draco replied sarcastically. Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled him forward. They were on the doorstep when Ginny froze. How was she going to do this? The house wasn't supposed to be occupied anymore, but there was still the possibility that they were using it. But then why hadn't they put an Unplottable spell on it? Of course, the other side could be using it too, which meant that Ginny and Draco would be just walking into a death trap, but that didn't make much sense to Ginny.

These thoughts flew through Ginny's head in a matter of seconds, giving her a migraine, but then she made her decision.

"Stay out here for a second," Ginny told Draco.

"No way am I letting you go into that old, rickety house by yourself," Draco said the words vehemently, and it sounded, to Ginny, that he might even care. She brushed off the thought quickly and decided not to argue with him this time. Taking a deep breath, Ginny pushed the door open very quietly and stepped into Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, the former residence of the Order of the Phoenix.

Ginny stepped in silently, her wand out and ready. Draco followed behind, his wand out as well. They made their way slowly and quietly down the hallway.

"Where–?" Ginny held up her hand to silence him. She remembered, all too well, what happened when the portrait of Mrs. Black, Sirius's mum, was woken up. They crept around for half an hour, searching through room after room until Ginny was satisfied.

"The house is completely empty," Ginny said with a satisfied smile. She plopped down on one of the kitchen chairs but kept her wand out, just in case. The time had gone by slowly, and Draco had been silent the entire time. Ginny had wondered what he'd been thinking about; she guessed it must have something to do with his mother's death. Draco copied Ginny and slumped into another chair without a word.

"So, where are we?" Draco asked reluctantly. His curiosity must have been stronger than whatever was bothering him.

"Number 12, Grimmauld Place," said Ginny. Draco raised his eyes questioningly, so Ginny added, "The former residence of the Order of the Phoenix."

Draco's eyes opened wide despite his bad mood. "The Order of the Phoenix, as in –."

"Yep, the resistance of Voldemort and his Death Eaters," Ginny finished for him. "I could get royally _screwed_ for bringing you here…" she mused.

After a moment Draco asked, "You said _former_ residence of the Order. How come they don't use it anymore?"

"I'm not really sure," Ginny answered. Her eyebrows pulled together in thought as she continued. "They may have stopped using it once Dumbledore died." Ginny saw Draco look away uncomfortably so she kept speaking. "The place used to be unplottable. Being the Order's headquarters, it needed to be as safe as possible. I'm guessing Dumbledore put most of the enchantments on himself, so they would stop working once her died." Again, Draco looked away. Ginny could've sworn she saw some hint of regret in his eyes.

"Anyway," Ginny continued, hating to see Draco uncomfortable, "This place might not be safe. All the enchantments are gone now, so there's nothing protecting us. But in the moment, this was the only place I could think of."

Ginny waited for Draco to voice some opinion, but he stayed as silent as ever. Apparently, he was going to make this difficult for her.

"How about we stay here a couple days at the maximum, and then we relocate somewhere else?" She voiced her plan reluctantly, knowing she wouldn't get much of a response. Draco nodded once, and got up and walked away. Ginny didn't follow, though. She didn't even want to imagine what he was going through now. Now, if _she_ had been having nightmares of her mother's death and then found out that the nightmares were real, then she'd pretty much lose it. Instead, Ginny focused on the present issue: the creepy and dangerous men who were tracking her down.

The idea was totally and utterly crazy. Who on earth would want to track Ginny down? She went over the reasons in her head for a second time.

Nope, nothing.

Well, there was _one_ possible reason she could think of. Somehow and someway, Voldemort found out that Harry cared about her, and being an evil, horrible monster, he planned on using Ginny to get Harry within his grasp to kill him. The explanation was kind of crazy, but at least it made some sense to Ginny…and she liked to think that she was that important to Harry…

Ginny spent the rest of the day moping around. Well, there wasn't anything else to do. Draco had shut himself up in one of the upstairs rooms and was, most likely, moping around himself. Ginny didn't bother him, though, no matter how bored she got. She couldn't rid the image of dead Narcissa from her mind. That was the only thing that kept her from barging in on him.

The day ended long and tiresome. Draco hadn't come out of his room at all, and Ginny was beginning to worry. But she'd give him his space. Ginny tiptoed past the portrait of Mrs. Black and up the stairs, taking up residence in the room she had once shared with Hermione.

Ginny groaned. The thought of Hermione had made her stomach knot up ferociously.

She hadn't seen her friend in a long time.

She hadn't seen her brother in a long time.

She hadn't seen _Harry_ in a long time.

The thought of Harry made Ginny even sicker; she missed him so much. Trying not to think of him worked wonderfully…until she actually thought of him, then all the feelings she'd built up came rushing at her, making her breathless. Ginny flopped down on her old bed, hoping to make the disoriented feeling go away, but she didn't have any luck. She drifted into sleep, bringing her worries with her.

She spent the night in pain and turmoil, her worst fears coming to life in the depths of her subconscious. She saw her friends, family, and other innocent people being killed…tortured. Ginny stared into Harry's eyes as he was tortured to death. She watched as his face contorted in agony, feeling her insides tear up at the sight. She saw images of her brothers and parents lying lifeless and bloody on dirty floors with no one to mourn over their dead bodies. Ginny saw Hermione slipping farther and farther away from her, her eyes screaming for help, but Ginny couldn't do anything. She'd reach out her hand to help her friend, but it did no good.

And last of all, the things Ginny saw before she woke up breathless and sweaty, were the faces of so many innocent people. She saw pleading eyes and heard cries of distress. The sobbing and screaming followed Ginny into the real world, even after the nightmare was over.

Ginny panted as she sat up from bed, feeling tears come to her own eyes. The nightmare had seemed so real. She brought her legs to her chest and hugged them tightly, and then she cried. She cried for everyone who died and would die. She cried for all the shit she was going through. She cried till she couldn't cry anymore.

The noise of her sobs disappeared into the night as she quieted, letting the darkness surround and consume her. Ginny knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, even if she wanted to, so she got up quietly and went downstairs. She didn't want to be in that cramped room anymore. She settled comfortably on the living room couch and curled up tightly.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Draco's voice pierced the silence, his voice startling her a bit, but then she relaxed. Glancing around the room, she saw him sitting on the floor in the corner of the room. The moon shone through the front window, lighting up his pale face. His eyes were red, and there were dark circles forming under his stormy gray eyes.

Ginny shook her head slightly, hugging her knees to her chest just a little tighter. She couldn't block the images from her nightmare out. Without a word, Draco got up from his spot on the floor and went and sat down next to Ginny. He wrapped his arms around her without hesitation. Ginny felt her heart skip a beat, but didn't budge an inch.

"Life's pretty messed up right now, isn't it?" he asked her quietly. Ginny nodded sadly and leaned into Draco's body, resting against him and using him as her pillar of strength. _Strange_, Ginny thought, _h__e just lost his mother, and _I'm_ the one who needs the support._ But that didn't keep Ginny from moving. She completely melted into Draco, snuggling into his strong and warm arms. Even when she feared sleep, Ginny couldn't help but let it overcome her as she lay with Draco on the musty old couch. And to her relief, she had a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Draco had no idea what made him sit down next to Ginny nor why he wrapped his arms around her and let her fall asleep, leaning against him. It was absolutely ridiculous, even in the present situation. Just because he was stuck with the girl, didn't mean he had to go all mushy and comfort her.

_But she needs me_.

The thought formed unwelcome in Draco's head. Who cared if she needed him? _He_ was the one whose mother was dead, not her. But looking down at Ginny's face stopped the argument that was raging in his mind. Her face was so calm and peaceful, not like it had been only moments before. Before, worry lines etched Ginny's forehead, and her eyebrows had knit together in frustration and sadness.

She _did_ need Draco. But the oddest thing of all was that Draco needed _her_. Even as his mind started to deny it, his heart told him it was the truth. With that thought in mind, he tightened his arms around her and leaned back on the couch. He fell asleep like that: lying on the old couch with Ginny in his arms, and he didn't mind it one bit.

The sun shone brightly through the front windows, signaling that it was morning. Draco woke up slowly and smiled to himself, realizing who was still sound asleep in his arms. Why did he feel so comfortable lying next to Ginny? That obviously couldn't be a good sign.

_You're crazy_, Draco told himself, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it just felt so right to hold Ginny close. He held Ginny tightly, breathing in her mouth-watering scent. She smelled like fresh strawberries, and Draco wondered if she tasted that way as well…

_Whoa!_ He yelled at himself. Now that was going _too_ far. He was just close friends with Ginny—that was all and nothing more. It was weird that they even were friends, but considering the situation, maybe it wasn't that weird after all. Terror seemed to do that, didn't it? It brought people of different backgrounds and beliefs together to fight against a single enemy.

Ginny yawned abruptly, bringing Draco from his thoughts. He watched her, with a smile on his face, as she woke. Ginny's eyes fluttered open slowly, taking in the room and then realizing where she was.

"Oh!" Ginny squeaked, as she turned around to be face to face with Draco. This startled her so much that she tried to back up but instead, just rolled off the couch. "Umph!" Ginny grunted as she made contact with the hard floor.

Draco laughed from his spot on the couch, watching the red head compose herself.

"It wasn't _that_ funny," she told him evenly. Her evil glare just made Draco laugh more. The sound was natural and warm, so Ginny couldn't help but smile herself. "Well, I'm glad that my clumsiness is so highly amusing."

Ginny hopped up from the floor, and Draco followed suit.

"Are you hungry?" Ginny asked him.

"Of course," he told her. "Guys are always hungry."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind." Ginny made her way down to the kitchen, making sure she tiptoed past the crazy, screaming portrait. "Oh, crap," Ginny said, once inside the roomy kitchen.

"What?" Draco asked her.

"There's no food here!" Ginny indicated the empty cabinets.

"Are you saying we're going to starve?" Draco eyes widened, and his stomach growled right on cue.

Ginny rolled her eyes at his drama. "Of course not. I know how to conjure food up from just the air, but I am limited in the selection of foods."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "How limited?"

"_Very_ limited." Ginny pulled out her wand, holding it out in the air in front of her. With a tiny swish, an apple appeared from where her wand had last been. Ginny caught the apple as it began to fall and held it up in front of Draco.

"By '_very_ limited', do you mean only apples?" he asked carefully.

"Pretty much, yeah," Ginny answered, biting into the rich, red apple.

"Great," Draco replied sarcastically.

"Well, if you don't want any, then you can just starve!"

"Fine, fine, I'll have one."

"Nope. I don't think I want to get you any. I'll just let you starve!"

"Oh, come on, Ginny," he said, getting down on his knees. "I already am starving!" Right on cue, his stomach growled again, and Ginny tired to hold back her giggles. She shook her head playfully and crossed her arms against her chest. "I'm already begging!" Draco exclaimed. "What else do you want from me?"

Ginny grinned. "You must admit that I'm the most amazingest, awesomest, coolest, greatest, magnificentest person in the world!" She knew it was childish, but that's what made it so much funnier.

"You can't be serious, can you?" he asked with raised eyebrows. Ginny just giggled and nodded her head yes. Draco glanced at the floor and picked up something Ginny couldn't see. "How about I give you this as a token of my undying appreciation for your amazing magical talents?" He held up a small, heart shaped stone in front of her. Ginny thought it over, but glancing at Draco's face made it final. He was pouting in a most handsome way, with his gray eyes round and pleading, and Ginny just couldn't resist that face.

"Oh, fine." She gave in and raised her wand in the air, grabbing the heart stone from his hand.

"But wait!" Draco exclaimed. Ginny waited for him to continue as he hesitated.

"What?"

"Can I have a green apple instead?" he asked tentatively. Ginny rolled her eyes but conjured up a green apple all the same.

"Happy?" she asked him, as he bit down into his snack greedily. Draco nodded eagerly, and they both made their way back to the living room. Draco and Ginny sat down on the couch and munched on their apples somewhat awkwardly. Both of them couldn't help but think of the last time they were there.

Ginny kept thinking about how comfortable she had been just laying in his arms, and whenever she thought of it, she got a warm tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. _It's nothing,_ Ginny told herself, _we're just friends._ But her heart and body were telling here that maybe there was something more going on…

_This is crazy!_ Ginny thought. It was only last night that she thought of how much she missed Harry and how much she cared about him. Could she like two people at once? Well, it certainly wasn't unheard of. _But Malfoy?_ Ginny asked herself. _Of all people, why Malfoy?_

Ironically, Draco was having a similar argument with himself inside his head.

_She's a Weasley,_ he told himself, _a__nd besides, we're just friends, nothing more._ In that moment, Ginny and Draco's knees touched for the briefest of seconds, and it sent a shiver down Draco's spine.

If you're just friends, then how come you want to be close to her so much? A little voice asked in the back of his head.

_What? I do NOT want to be close to her._

Uh huh, sure, the voice continued.

Draco sighed. _Okay, so even if I want to be close to her, well, that doesn't mean anything! Is it wrong to just want the closeness of someone else's body?_

Yeah, but that's not it, the voice argued. You genuinely _want_ her.

Draco sighed loudly and blocked the voice in his head that was trying to point out the obvious. At that time, they were both done eating their apples and were sitting uncomfortably on the couch. Conflicting feelings, especially for teenagers, are difficult enough, but when you add confusion, fear from war, and the commonality of death, then the situation becomes much more complicated.

_What the hell am I doing? She's a Weasley! A red-headed, freckle-faced Weasley!_

I like Harry, I like Harry, I like Harry, I like Harry…

_Plus, she's got stupid scar-head out there saving the world so they can live happily ever after._

Seriously, Gin! He's a Malfoy for Merlin's sake! 

_What does Potter have that I don't?!_

This is all pointless, anyway. Nothing would or could ever happen between us.

If she has Potter, then she wouldn't ever need me…

…like he'd want me anyway…

_What am I doing?! Mother just died, and I'm sitting here thinking about a girl?! This is war…_

Well, this is a disaster.

And so the arguments went, continuing in the quietness of their own minds. Finally, Ginny had had enough.

"I'm going to…err…shower…or something…" she mumbled, marching up the stairs as quietly as she could, thankful that she was finally away from the awkward situation on the couch. She had no idea what she'd say to Draco the next time she saw him, but maybe a nice, hot shower would conjure up some inspiration?

Nice going. The voice inside Draco's head told him, as Draco watched Ginny leave.

_Oh, shut up_.

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**A/N:** I would love your opinions everyone! Any suggestions and/or constructive criticism is welcome! In either case you should read and review!!


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